SPECSAVERS in Barry is reminding drivers to make sure their eyesight is fit for driving during Road Safety Week which ends on Sunday, November 23.

In 2013, 111 people were killed on Welsh roads, an increase of almost a fifth on the previous year.

There were also more than 1,000 people seriously injured on the roads last year, an increase of 10 per cent from 2010.

A random sample of people surveyed by the Specsavers road safety team this year said distractions on the roads were likely to be a cause of accidents (88 per cent), with 70 per cent claiming poor vision could also be a factor.

The survey also revealed 82 per cent of drivers had had their eyes tested within the last two years but 18 per cent admitted never having an eye test or not having a vision screening test for more than two years.

Jamie Pullen, director of Specsavers in Barry, said: “Being perceptive and alert as a driver is absolutely essential. It is astonishing to think of the percentage of drivers surveyed by the Specsavers road safety team that had gone without a vision screening for more than two years, and in some cases, that had never been screened at all.

“As the results from this year’s Royal Welsh Show indicate, while distractions when driving are a significant contributing factor for a high number of road accidents, almost three quarters of those surveyed said that they felt poor vision by other drivers was also a factor that could lead to a serious road traffic accident.

“At Specsavers we champion the importance of sight tests, general eye health and the overall importance of high quality vision when driving, and giving the increasing number of fatalities on Wales’ roads, the significance of this message cannot be underestimated. We hope that these results will encourage more drivers to book an eye test, making our roads safer for everyone.”

For advice to minimise the risk of road accidents visit http://www.specsavers.co.uk/eye-health/vision-and-driving/advice-for-drivers.