Survey puts into focus the risky behaviour some Canadians are taking when they hit the road.
The vast majority of Canadians require vision correction, about 74 per cent, yet many drivers take an unnecessary risk when they get behind the wheel. A recent study by Clearly.ca found that one in four Canadians who have corrective lenses admitted to driving at least twice in the last year without wearing their glasses or contacts.
Road safety is the focus
You don't need 20/20 vision to see that this is risky behaviour on a variety of levels, the most important, and obvious, being road safety. Drivers who are unable to see clearly can't possibly navigate the complexities that come with driving. It's why each province requires a vision test when first getting licensed, and why drivers are required to update their provincial licensing authority if they start wearing glasses (or contacts) for driving.
Not wearing your corrective lenses when you drive could also earn you a ticket if caught. How do police officers know there's more to your driving than meets the eye?
If you need corrective lenses to drive, your driver's licence will have a condition assigned to it. In Ontario, for example, your licence will display a condition code X on your driver's licence photo card, and in Quebec and Alberta it's a condition code A. If you're pulled over and you're not wearing your corrective lenses, you're setting yourself up for a ticket, which in turn will likely affect your auto insurance premiums.
The eyes have it
Arnaud Bussieres, CEO of Clearly.ca, reminds drivers that good vision is a key pillar of road safety. The company encourages drivers to:
- Have regular eye exams, ideally annually, to help maintain good eye health
- Wear your prescriptive eyewear (contacts or glasses), especially when driving
- Protect your eyes from the glare of the sun and snow with anti-reflective eyewear
On this latter point, many drivers find that wearing glasses with an anti-reflective coating really helps with the glare the comes with driving at night too.
Are your auto insurance premiums as sharp as they can be?
Like your vision, your auto insurance rates should be tested regularly too. At Kanetix.ca you can compare car insurance quotes in just a few minutes to find a rate that will open your eyes to new ways to save your money.
