Eye tests and car accident claims

If you're a driver who needs to wear glasses it is important that you have your eyesight checked on a regular basis to avoid the risk of suffering serious personal injuries in a road traffic accident. Every year thousands of motorists make car accident claims for crashes caused as a result of poor vision and without motorists taking the time and effort to have an eye examination, the number of car accidents could increase in the future.

Car accident claim statistics
According to recent statistics from the Royal National Institute of the Blind, 1 in 3 drivers have not had their eyes checked in the past two years and therefore could be putting themselves at risk of sustaining injuries and having to make a car accident claim.

It was also discovered that the largest age group of people failing to have eye tests was 16 to 24, with the least likely to fail a test being 65 and over. Therefore, older drivers have a limited risk of being involved in road traffic accidents caused by poor vision and so wouldn't need to make as many car accident claims as say younger drivers might.

Motorists living in Greater London are also least likely to make car accident claims for vehicle accidents as 80% have regularly had their eyes tested over the past two years compared to just 57% of drivers living in Scotland who failed to have their eyesight examined.

What the experts say
Formula One Racing Driver, David Coulthard, says, "Driving with poor sight and not getting eye tests regularly is dangerous. That's why I am urging everyone to book an eye test today."

A spokesperson from the Royal National Institute for the Blind www.rnib.org.uk says, "An eye test is a vital health check for your eyes. A regular eye test can help detect eye diseases before you notice the effect on your sight. Early treatment can often prevent your sight from getting worse."

What the law states
If motorists fail to abide by the law they could easily find themselves at risk of having a serious car accident and may face penalties if found to be driving with poor eyesight. Motorist must consider the following:

• Drivers should be able to read a number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres in good light
• Drivers who need glasses or contact lenses should wear them whilst driving
• Drivers with defective vision could be given a fine of £1,000, three penalty points and possible disqualification

Qualifying for free eyesight tests
Certain people will be able to qualify for free eyesight tests and a number of motorists can have a reduction in price. These offers should encourage motorists to have regular check-ups and may even reduce the number of car accident claims being made for serious road accidents. Some of the groups of people who qualify for such discounts include:

• People aged 60 and over
• People under 16, or in full time education
• People receiving income support
• People registered blind or partially sighted

How to make a car accident claim
If you or somebody you know has suffered serious personal injuries in a motor accident that wasn't your fault, then Car Accident Advice Line may be able to help you make a no win, no fee claim.

We can guarantee that when you make a compensation claim with us you will be given every single penny of the damages awarded to you for your injury and that neither we, nor a member from our panel of solicitors will take a cut of the awarded sum.

Our panel of personal injury solicitors are experts in the field of car accident claims and over the years they have assisted a number of our customers in securing compensation. With an excellent success rate, you can feel assured that they can also help you make a successful car accident claim.

To make a claim with Car Accident Advice Line you can contact us by completing an online assessment form with a brief description of your personal injury and one of our friendly claims advisors will call you back.

For free legal advice and to get your totally cost-free car accident claim underway today, call a member of our team from the comfort of you own sitting room on 0808 143 43 42.