Essilor seeks signatures for Driving Blind campaign

Essilor has issued a call for practitioners to sign the petition for its Driving Blind campaign after it has gained support from MPs.

The deadline for the petition is 12 December and Essilor require 10,000 signatures to receive a response from the Government.

Campaign spokesperson at Essilor, Nigel Corbett, said: “We’ve campaigned on the High Street and consumer media on saying no to driving blind. The public are shocked to discover they are sharing busy motorways with people who have never had their eyes properly examined and have universally signed the petition. They want drivers to have to prove that their eyes are roadworthy before they get behind the wheels of a lethal machine.”

“But we need more petition signatures so I’m urging every British optical professional to sign it and ask colleagues to sign. Also, practices can download posters from our website and use them in-store and invite patients to sign.”

Practitioners are being asked to share their support on social media, tagging @DrivingBlindUK and using #DrivingBlind.

In August, OT spoke to Mr Corbett, who said that it is “ludicrous” that driver’s vision test procedures have not changed since being introduced in 1937.

Campaign supporters include former vice chair of the APPG for Transport Safety, Viscount Simon, who said: “The British public is serious about making roads safer by stopping people driving blind. A serious political re-think at the highest level is now required.”

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath (pictured), added: “It is madness that UK regulations for drivers’ eyesight are among the weakest in Europe and rely on self-regulation and reporting. The UK test ignores other essentials like peripheral vision.”