Vision and driving in winter

This year, the AOP is working in partnership with Optometry Wales, Road Safety Wales and Welsh police forces to raise awareness of vision and driving, and to help improve road safety across the UK.

The campaign will see a push in national media, and will also work specifically with outlets in Wales in 2023 to promote regular sight tests to drivers locally.

With the campaign launching ahead of Christmas and any holiday driving that the public might be undertaking, Serena Box, PR and media manager for the AOP, told OT: “Wintertime throws up a whole host of difficult driving conditions – from more driving in the darkness due to the shorter daylight hours, to storms, heavy rain, fog, snow and ice.”

As driving conditions worsen, and with factors limiting the vision of drivers, Box noted: “unfortunately, many serious driving accidents occur in the winter months.”

The AOP is launching new shareable resources to support this year’s campaign, along with a social media campaign.

“Readers can get involved by downloading the campaign pack and sharing resources with their patients, either in practice via our vision and driving leaflet or on their online channels via the social media graphics we’ve created,” Box continued.

More information on the campaign and how to get involved can be found at www.aop.org.uk/dontswerve