ONE out of every 10 motorists in Chester do not meet legal eyesight requirements, a new survey has revealed.
The study recently conducted at the Forum Shopping Centre by Specsavers also showed nearly a third of drivers have not had a recent eyetest.
Specsavers’ Drive Safe campaign polled 100 Chester residents who use a vehicle as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of driving with vision that does not meet the legal requirements.
Store director of Specsavers in Chester, Huw Edwards, said: “We were truly shocked by how many people failed the test and admitted to not having had a recent eye test.
“It’s vital that your eyes are tested at least every other year as it can highlight health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and glaucoma. For drivers, it’s especially important.
“We hope that our work in Chester and across the North West region will go some way towards encouraging motorists to understand how important regular eye examinations are for road safety.”
The survey also found 15 per cent of motorists could not read a number plate from 20.5 metres as required by law. Of those that failed 53 per cent were male and almost half were aged between 30 to 50 years old.
Road safety unit team leader from Cheshire West and Chester Council, John Ricketts, said: “It’s very worrying one in 10 drivers surveyed failed to meet the minimum legal eye sight requirement.
“It is obvious that drivers who can’t see properly are a danger to themselves and others. The common sense answer is to get your eyes checked out every two years through a proper eye test.”