One-in-six Shropshire drivers don't meet sight standards
One in six Shropshire motorists would not pass sight standards for driving, a spot test has revealed.
The shock results are based on "eyesight MoTs" carried out at a garage in Oswestry.
As part of a national campaign to help reduce the estimated 3,000 casualties a year where eyesight is a key factor, drivers visiting the Esso petrol station on the Mile End roundabout were offered a free check and given on-the-spot consultations and advice by Oswestry Opticians, N. Lloyd Thomas & Son Eyecare.
One in six drivers taking the tests did not meet the required eyesight standards for driving.
Aled Lloyd-Thomas, from the opticians said: "A recent study revealed one in six drivers in the Midlands struggled to read the number plate of the car in front, and one in four worried as a passenger about their driver's vision.
"These figures were backed up by the tests we carried out at the petrol station.
"We want to impress upon people the importance of good vision when driving, and highlight the fact that a number of people in the UK are actually eligible for a free eye test, including employees regularly using computer screens. Taking a test could save lives."
Constable Mark Moth, from West Mercia Police, also attended the event to provide advice on road safety.
The initiative coincided with Road Safety Week and formed part of the Think About Your Eyes campaign, which aims to identify poor eyesight on the road and urge drivers to take extra care during the winter.
It is part of a campaign for the Government to change the law so that the police have the power to temporarily suspend the driving licences of motorists whom they feel are unfit to drive.
