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Drivers don’t see the need to wear glasses while driving, research finds
The study, carried out by the Leeds Sustainability Institute at the university, found that drivers felt safe getting into a vehicle with their vision uncorrected, particularly on short and familiar journeys.
Dr Fiona Fylan, who specialises in health psychology and risk-taking, interviewed drivers with an average age of 45, who all said they had driven with uncorrected vision at least twice in the past six months, despite needing glasses to correct their distance vision.
Dr Fylan said: “The results of this study were both astonishing and incredibly insightful.
“While risky driving behaviours, like drink driving or using your mobile phone while driving, are seen as unacceptable, those involved in the study didn’t regard driving with uncorrected vision as serious or detrimental.
“Drivers with blurred vision have longer reaction times as they have to focus on individual hazards for longer before they can react, so it is incredibly important to clearly see what is going on in front of you. Previous research found people who drive without wearing their glasses had four times the crash risk of those without it.”