World Sight Day 2016: NOA Collaborates With Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC)

The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) in collaboration with Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) presents WORLD SIGHT DAY 2016 with the theme: Universal Eye Health Call To Action: Stronger Together to create awareness on vision standards for safe driving. The event will take place on Thursday 13th of October 2016 in all the 36 states in Nigeria including the federal capital territory Abuja.

World Sight Day is a global event observed annually on the second Thursday of October with the common purpose of drawing attention on blindness and vision impairment. Originally, World Sight Day was initiated in the year 2000 by the SightFirstCampaign of Lions Club International Foundation. It has since been integrated into VISION 2020 and is coordinated by IAPB in cooperation with the World Health Organization.

The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) in this year's World Sight Day will focus on drivers' vision; to create awareness on vision standards for safe driving and the key messages include the following:

• The prevalence of visual impairment in Nigeria is nearly 5 percent, and four out of five blind people are needlessly impaired.
• An estimated 23 percent of drivers worldwide have uncorrected vision and need spectacle correction to improve visual capacity while driving.
• An estimated 59 percent of accidents could be linked to causes associated with poor sight such as failure to use corrective lenses or glare related reasons.
• Risk of car crashes increases by 9 percent in visual impairment.
• Over 90 percent of decisions made behind the wheel depend on good vision.
• Good eyesight and visual perception are fundamental for safe driving.
• Many drivers are unaware that visual difficulties increase as light conditions change, due to lack of information about the role of sight in road safety.
• Any visual impairment will affect the ability of the driver to see road signs clearly at distant and near and will subsequently affect his ability to interact with other road users.
• Even though people with visual impairment try to compensate for their difficulties usually by avoiding crowded routes and slower driving, it is not enough to make up for a reduced ability to recognize road signs, hazards and pedestrians.
• When you drive with less than the set minimum requirement for safety driving, you endanger your live and that of the others. It is an offense!
• All drivers with blur distance vision due to refractive error should get their prescribed glasses and make sure they wear the glasses when driving.
• We need drivers with good vision to increase safety and reduce road traffic accidents on our roads.

Speed thrills but kills faster with blurred vision.

 It's better to lose a minute in life than to lose life in a minute. Please drive safely. All drivers, both commercial and private, should have their eyes tested annually.

Yes we can do it because we are stronger Together.

For More Enquiries, Call:

08076308041, 08023232668, 08033470065, 08033475138.