fbpx

Driver awareness: Be fit to drive

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!

 

In light of the recent news regarding the death of three year old Poppy-Arabella Clarke in Birmingham, Bhavin Shah, Optometrist at Central Vision Opticians, who has experience of examining vision for the DVLA, has advised the utmost importance of getting your eyes tested on a regular basis. The recent tragic events highlight the dangers of driving with vision that is not suitable for the road. As a result of his poor vision, driver John Place, aged 72, was sentenced to four years in prison over the death of the three year old who was hit by his car as she pushed her bike across the road. Place had little clue of his actions and continued to drive until he was blocked off the road by a fellow driver who had seen the incident happen. Place had been warned to stop driving by an optometrist just weeks prior to the horrific incident.

 

“This tragic case highlights the importance of the responsibility on the driver to make sure they are fit to drive and to heed the advice of professionals even if you feel you there is nothing wrong. And drivers should accept that in serious cases, a health professional has the duty to report them to the DVLA.”

 

Mr Shah has over twenty-two years of experience in the optical field and has worked closely with people of all ages to improve their vision and ultimately the safety, not just of drivers, but their passengers, other drivers and pedestrians. He has stressed that, drivers who have been warned by their opticians to wear glasses for driving should always comply, even though they may not have experienced any symptoms. In more serious cases drivers may even be told to stop driving altogether, it is vital that drivers respect the decision of health professionals. As we get older, people fail to realise that their eyesight gets worse and can become a serious risk to the safety of pedestrians and other drivers.

 

Although Mr Shah understands the loss of independence that may occur for elderly and young drivers, it is inevitably the responsibility of the patient to adhere to professional advice for the safety of the public and passengers.

 

Thankfully, these accidents don’t happen too often but when they do it is a real shame to see it happen as a result of careless actions.

About the Author Bhavin Shah

follow me on:

Leave a Comment:

>