- Legal requirement to use corrective eyewear
- Quarter of drivers not using glasses when driving
- Glasses help reduce fatigue and glare
Drivers who need glasses to drive should keep a spare pair in their car, says leading breakdown provider Start Rescue.
In the UK, 60% of drivers need prescription glasses to drive according to the College of Optometrists, yet a quarter of this group (24%) admit they do not always wear them while at the wheel. This is despite 95% of sensory input to the brain for driving comes from the eyes.
Using prescription glasses or contact lenses makes driving safer by giving drivers the best possible vision, while also reducing fatigue and glare caused by bright daylight, street lighting, and oncoming vehicles’ headlights.
“It is essential drivers can read road signs and judge where they are going, especially if they need to guide their car to safety in the event of a breakdown,” says Lee Puffett, Managing Director of Start Rescue. “Even if you wear glasses or lenses all the time, we urge drivers to keep a spare pair in the car in case their usual ones are damaged or lost.”
Poor weather and nighttime darkness can leave broken-down drivers particularly vulnerable to others not wearing prescription glasses when they should. According to research by the College of Optometrists, 42% of drivers also say they find it challenging when driving at night or bad weather.
Daniel Hardiman-McCartney MBE FCOptom is a Clinical Adviser at the College of Optometrists and a practicing optometrist. He says: “If you don’t need your glasses all the time, but have been advised to wear them driving, keep a pair in the glove compartment of your car. That way you always have them when you really do need them.”
Lee Puffett adds: “It’s also important to keep your glasses clean, as well as the car’s windscreen, to minimise glare and to see clearly. A spare pair of glasses in the car can be a life-saver and it’s the law in many European countries, such as France and Spain, so it’s vital if you are heading on holiday to the Continent.”
Start Rescue has a 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot, a five-star Defaqto* rating and has achieved Which? Recommended Provider status for six years running. Start Rescue has also been awarded best Breakdown Cover provider in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024 (www.finder.com), scoring 4.9 out of 5 for overall satisfaction with a 94% recommendation rate.
In the What Car? Survey of Best Breakdown Cover, Start Rescue came top for best response time, reaching 77% of call-outs in 30 minutes to an hour and didn’t leave anyone waiting for more than two hours. Start Rescue also won best in the survey for performing temporary repairs that let people continue with their journeys.
Launched in 2009, Start Rescue is an integral part of the nation’s fourth largest breakdown and recovery service, Call Assist, which now has more than two million UK customers.
For further breakdown advice, please visit startrescue.co.uk.