A Midlands-based Fleet consultancy specialist has announced a national partnership with Specsavers Corporate Eyecare to tackle the issue of poor eyesight and driver safety.
Leonie Caul of Specsavers Coventry (left) with Jo Ewen of TR Fleet
The announcement follows research produced by Specsavers earlier this month, which indicates that one in three drivers do not meet the legal standard of vision for driving.
The partnership will see members of TR Fleet’s DriveSecure risk management programme issued with Specsavers vouchers for free eye tests. The system will identify those drivers ‘at risk’ and where an eyesight test is due will automatically notify Specsavers whilst providing drivers with the voucher.
Commercial Director of TR Fleet, Jo Ewen, said: “The success of road safety campaigns tackling issues as diverse as mobile phone use to drink driving have ensured that we are all aware of key factors which impact on safe driving. However, one of the most basic but critical issues is still being overlooked.
“Last year there were 2,040 accidents due to poor vision resulting in an estimated 2,874 casualties. The total cost to individuals, families and the wider economy was £32.9 million.*
“There is widespread industry support for a change in legislation to ensure that drivers take regular eye tests. Our partnership with Specsavers is designed to get employers one step ahead by making them aware of the importance of good vision in keeping company drivers safe, and encouraging them to take action. The service not only makes fleet managers aware of improvements they can make but delivers cost savings on fleet efficiency which in turn funds any safety initiatives and reduces workload for the fleet managers themselves.”
Talking about the partnership, Suzanne Randall, Corporate Account Manager at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare said: “Working with like-minded organisations to improve the safety on our roads is really important to us, so we’re pleased to be working with TR Fleet to offer their customers eye tests. Eyesight can deteriorate over time, often without being noticed, so regular eyetests are important to ensure that eyesight is good enough for driving.”
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