Member Article

Vision Express welcomes VIP guests and festivalgoers on-board its Vision Van at CarFest North

• Stars including Zac Ware from The Proclaimers & MasterChef’s Jack Layer, had essential vision check-up during three-day event • Nearly 80% of Vision Van visitors at CarFest North were overdue an eye test

MasterChef finalist Jack Layer and Zac Ware – lead guitarist for The Proclaimers, were among the throng of guests welcomed onto the Vision Express Vision Van as it revved into this year’s CarFest North.

The action-packed motoring and music festival kicked off on Friday 27th to Sunday 29th July, in Cheshire. Vision Express was on-hand with partner ACUVUE®, inviting Van visitors on board for free eye tests, contact lens trials and to take a ride in a Formula One car, thanks to its virtual reality headsets.

Over the course of the event, it was revealed that a worrying 78% of Van visitors were overdue an eye test, while a staggering 80% required a new prescription. A further 15% of visitors had not had an eye test since passing their driving test – a concern considering an estimated 3,000 accidents are caused on the nation’s roads each year, due to poor driver sight.

Jack Layer, a finalist from 2016’s MasterChef and glasses wearer, hopped on board for a quick check up. “I don’t think people get their eyes tested enough,” he said. “It’s something you should do regularly. It’s not hard - it only takes a couple of minutes to make sure you’re looking after your eyes properly.”

Admitting to never having had an eye test before was Matt Starkey, a specialist health and safety trainer from Brighton who popped by the Van. The 47-year-old said it was only when he failed an eye test at work that he realised that he needed to get his vision checked. “Eye tests should be like an M.O.T, they just need to be done”, he said. “For me personally, my sight is an important part of the job, especially when you’re looking after other people’s safety.”

Another visitor to the Van was Colin Smith, a 57-year-old ex-racing driver from Cheshire. In his former role, Colin required an eye test every year but since retiring, admitted to having not had one in a decade. “I kept saying I have to get my eyes tested but I never seemed to get around to it,” he commented. “Today I found out that it’s not just an eye test, you also get lots of other health checks during the appointment, like blood pressure tests, so they’re definitely worth doing.”

Vision Express has been raising awareness of the dangers of driving without roadworthy vision since November 2015, as part of its #EyeTestsSaveLives campaign. A DVLA survey released earlier this month revealed that only 50% of drivers are aware of what constitutes road-worthy vision, driving home the need for greater awareness of the importance of eye health for road safety.

Jonathan Lawson, CEO of Vision Express, concluded: “It was great to welcome celebrity guests and CarFest visitors onto our state-of-the-art Vision Van at the weekend, and educate them about the importance of maintaining good eye health practices.

“Our ‘Eye Tests Save Lives’ campaign is dedicated to reducing the number of vision-related accidents on our roads, as reports estimate that around 3,000 road casulaties each year are caused by people driving with sub-par vision. The festival was the perfect platform to educate those who rely on driving for a living or as a passion, about the risk of getting behind the wheel with untested vision.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Vision Express .