Scrivens Opticians are advising the over 40s to get their eyesight checked as the dark winter days draw in, or risk being on the wrong side of the law, as drivers in their 40s experience more difficulties with their vision during the autumn months as the nights draw in.

Studies reveal that one in five people aged over 40 take to the road knowing their eyesight is not up to par, and five per cent admit they have not had a sight test for at least 10 years. However, driving with uncorrected vision is not only an offence (punishable with a heavy fine, penalty licence points and possible driving disqualification), but your car insurance is also invalidated.

Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care Optometrist, Paul Sidhu said: “The change in season also brings with it a change in the amount of daylight, which can not only make us feel blue but also brings about unforeseen dangers.

“We use different parts of our eyes to see at different light levels, with our vision at its sharpest during daylight hours and fuzzier in relative darkness, causing our visual perception or ‘mesopic vision’ to fall significantly.

“This can lead us into a false sense of security, as we are commuting and travelling at times that use our mesopic vision, misleading us to believe that we are seeing more clearly than we really are. Not only that, the sun at this time of year is lower in the sky causing glare issues that can make driving more difficult.”

Here are some suggestions to be safer at this time of year:

If you haven’t had an eye test in the last two years, get your eyes checked at your local Scrivens branch
If you have prescription glasses or contact lenses, always wear an up-to-date prescription while driving
An anti-glare coat on your glasses helps reduce glare from oncoming headlights
Keep a spare pair of glasses in your vehicle (this is law in some other EU countries)
Don’t use tinted lenses/sunglasses for dusk/night driving
Keep your windscreen clean, inside and out

Sources:

1. Scrivens Opticians:
   Mesopic Vision.