"Get your eyes checked": road safety starts with good vision on the road

Only one in four drivers bothers to have their eyes checked and test their visual acuity. Sight is the main sense we humans use to receive information. As much as 80 per cent of the data our brain perceives comes through vision, and it becomes even more important when we get behind the wheel: when driving at 50 km/h, for every 0.5 loss in visual acuity we need 3 seconds longer to properly make out the information on a road sign, which is why having good vision correction is so important to ensure road safety.

As part of the “Action for Road Safety” road safety campaign promoted by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the optical company Essilor is working with the FIA to develop, on a global scale, an awareness campaign on the importance of correct vision correction for drivers, pedestrians and other road users in reducing road accidents and improving road safety in our society. In Spain, this campaign will be carried out in direct collaboration with RACE, a founding member of the FIA and its representative in our country.

Poor vision is a major risk factor on the road: worldwide, one in five drivers cannot see the road clearly due to vision problems. In Spain alone, this means nearly five million drivers are on the road with poor vision or without adequate correction, according to data from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.

“Many drivers are unaware that poor vision is one of the main risk factors on the road, and they do not get regular check-ups or protect their eyes from glare when driving at night or on sunny days,” says David Navarro, Global VP Strategic Projects at Essilor.

The world-leading ophthalmic lens company and RACE are going to undertake an important task: raising awareness among Spanish society and drivers in general about the importance of carrying out regular vision checks, properly protecting their eyes from glare and sunlight on the road, and wearing corrective lenses at all times suited to driving. To this end, they will run various educational and awareness campaigns aimed at drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians in order to improve road safety and reduce accidents on roads and thoroughfares.

“It is an honour that RACE, as a founding member of the FIA, has been chosen by Essilor to highlight this issue that affects millions of Spanish drivers,” said Tomás Santa Cecilia, Road Safety Director at RACE. “Sight is the most important sense when we get behind the wheel, so any circumstance that negatively affects our abilities directly exposes us to risk. If we want to reduce the number of injured and killed on the roads in the coming years, these kinds of commitments and actions are the way forward.” The FIA has included vision checks among its eleven golden rules of road safety, placing them on the same level as seat belt use in cars and helmets for motorcycles, the ban on drinking alcohol before driving, and the obligation to respect speed limits.