DRIVERS should consider having up-to-date eye tests before getting behind the wheel, Greenock and Inverclyde’s MSP has said.
Stuart McMillan was speaking after testing a driving simulator, pictured, as part of Road Safety Week.
He said: “It’s estimated that crashes involving a driver with poor vision cause 2,900 casualties each year across the UK.
“Research has found that 15 per cent of drivers have not had an eye test since they passed their driving test — an average of 14 years previously.
“Many people don’t realise changes in sight can be gradual. Experts say it’s possible to lose up to 40 per cent of your vision before even noticing it.
“That’s why drivers of all ages have a responsibility to themselves, their passengers, other road users and pedestrians to ensure they take their eye health seriously.
“Using the driving simulator, I experienced for myself just how debilitating and dangerous it can be to drive with impaired vision.”
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