
Optometrists and Road Safety.
Every year an average of 3,000 Kenyan lives are lost due to road accidents, in addition more than 6,000 people end up with moderate to severe injuries each year. This results to the national average of 35 clashes that occur daily.
One of the most underrated cause of road accidents is visual impairments despite the obvious fact that 90% of decisions needed to ensure safe driving comes through the eyes. Uncorrected vision has long been overlooked as a factor in road safety. For instance, driving just at 30 mph with uncorrected vision can require an extra 3 seconds to recognize and read road signs, this three second can be the thin line between life and death.
Based on the fact that visual tests are not a compulsory requirement for our drivers and compounded by the reality that many drivers avoid seeking evaluation and treatment for vision issues, visual problems continue to be a glaring danger on our roads and a daily compromise to our road safety.
It is based on this concerns that the association commits to undertake an annual event for visual screening for PSV drivers on main bus stations in major towns across the country. This will be done every October with the celebration of the World Vision day.