Celebrity Manchester lawyer Nick Freeman has targeted drivers who ditch glasses after it emerged that one in EIGHT motorists don’t wear them behind the wheel.
Millions of drivers could be tackling the tarmac while effectively blind, a survey by One Poll revealed, and Mr Freeman insisted that car owners should have 20/20 vision when it comes to the consequences.
The motoring solicitor, dubbed Mr Loophole, warned drivers who flout the law by not wearing their glasses that they could find themselves behind bars.
“If you are involved in a serious accident one of the first things a police officer will do is check your vision and, if you aren’t wearing your glasses when you should, there are very serious consequences,” said Mr Freeman.
“If you are involved in an accident where someone dies and you are found to have not been wearing glasses when you should then you could face a charge of death by dangerous driving.
“If convicted you could find yourself facing a 15-year jail sentence.
“I cannot stress it strongly enough. Don’t take the risk, always keep a spare pair of glasses in your car. It’s just not worth the risk.”
The survey was commissioned by London laser eye surgery clinic Focus to discover the public’s attitude towards wearing corrective lenses for driving.
It asked 1000 glasses wearers whether they wore their corrective lenses – and their reasons for not doing so.
Drivers under the age of 44 years old were 15 times more likely to leave their glasses at home than the over-55s.
Worryingly, 43% of those who admitted to not wearing glasses to drive when they should said the reason they chose not to do so was vanity.
Others said it was ‘too much hassle’ or they regularly ‘forgot’ their glasses before getting behind the wheel as the main reasons.
Drivers caught not wearing their glasses risk hefty fines and even losing their licence.
The survey highlighted changing attitudes towards wearing glasses with many saying they removed their glasses for photographs or important meetings.
Most people removed their specs during sex with 80% admitting to glasses-free nookie, while 37% said they remove them to take a selfie, 33% remove them when going on a date and 35% remove them if they’re having a night out.
Almost 60% of respondents said they would consider laser eye surgery in order to lose their glasses for good.
Mr David Allamby, lead surgeon at laser eye surgery clinic Focus said changing attitudes to wearing glasses are seeing a large proportion of people look to laser eye surgery for a longer term solution.
“We have seen a large increase in people coming to us because they want to ditch their glasses for good,” said Mr Allamby.
“Having to wear glasses for driving is a major consideration for our patients.
“People find having to wear glasses a hassle and, in today’s fast-moving environment, it’s all too easy to forget your glasses or leave them at home.
“Many say that they experience ‘glare’ when driving with their glasses on and they find that very uncomfortable.
“When you compare the cost of laser eye surgery to the cost of buying glasses and contact lenses, many aren’t aware that surgery is actually the cheaper option and really does change peoples’ lives for the better.
“Of course, choosing the right surgeon is essential because the results are very dependent on the skill of the doctor. Also avoid anywhere where you feel pressure to go ahead or that you’re just a number on a conveyor belt.”
Story via Cavendish Press
Image courtesy of itcolhannibalsmith via YouTube with thanks
