Last updated at 11:44, Thursday, 15 November 2012

OPTOMETRIST at Specsavers, Barrow, JULIE DIXON, offers advice on smoking and eye health

Optometrist Julie Dixon

THE green cross code is one of the first things we learn as children and safety on the roads is even more important during the winter as the nights get longer.

Next week is Road Safety Week, and with statistics showing that longer nights lead to more traffic accidents, it’s important that pedestrians and drivers take extra care on the roads.

The team at Specsavers in Barrow are reminding motorists of the importance of regular eye checks to ensure safe driving, as well as reminding pedestrians to get their vision checked every two years.

At present, there is no legal requirement for motorists to have their sight tested between being issued with a licence and their 70th birthday, which could easily be a gap of more than 50 years.

Eyesight can deteriorate so slowly that it is difficult to notice a change over time, which is why we always recommend getting an eye test every two years.

Many people who say they don’t need glasses are surprised to find they have minor vision problems that require reading or driving glasses because their vision has degenerated so gradually.

Similarly, those who already have short or long sightedness can be surprised by a worsening prescription when they considered their existing glasses to be more than adequate for everyday life.

Thousands of people are believed to have eye problems they don’t even know about – and when those people are motorists, this could put people at risk.

Road Safety Week, which runs from November 19 to 25, is run by the road safety charity Brake and aims cut the number of people killed or injured on Britain’s roads.

This year’s theme is ‘Slower speeds = happy people’ and the charity is calling for a reduction to 20mph in the standard speed limit in built up areas.

With road accidents the biggest cause of accidental deaths for children and young people, it’s important for drivers to take responsibility for their eyesight and ensure they are driving safely.

For more information or to book an appointment for an eye test, contact Specsavers in Barrow on 01229 836836 or visit www.Specsavers.co.uk/stores/barrow

First published at 16:20, Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk