LOCAL charity Wiltshire Sight has teamed up with Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership and Haine & Smith opticians to highlight the importance of good eyesight for motorists by launching the campaign #eyes2drive.

Leanne Hubbard, chief executive of Wiltshire Sight, said: “Drivers can help make our roads safer by getting their eyes tested at least every two years, even if they think their vision is perfect, or straight away if they notice a problem.

"Vision can deteriorate quickly, sometimes without you even noticing, so regular tests are crucial and can help detect any longer-term conditions before they get worse.

"If you have been advised to wear glasses or contact lenses for driving you should wear them every time you take to the wheel.” 

Good eyesight is crucial when it comes to driving, yet some drivers fail to have their eyes tested regularly, some going years without a high standard of vision. Poor vision is estimated to cause 2,900 road casualties a year. 

Sergeant Gavin Brewster of Wiltshire Police said: “The legal requirements that the police can test for is that a driver can read a standard clean number plate from 20.5 metres in good daylight.

"If spectacles or contact lenses are required to achieve this then they must also be worn for driving. As driving with impaired vision is clearly a road safety issue, Wiltshire Police are keen to support this initiative and to raise driver awareness on this issue, encouraging regular eye checks.”

Giles Smith, partner at Haine and Smith, said: “Haine & Smith are committed to helping raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests and it is particularly exciting to be supporting the Eyes 2 Drive campaign because we can join with the Road Safety Partnership in taking big steps together to improve road safety.”

The campaign is set to begin with the clock change at the end of the month.