08/01/2010 - Eye test law 'unknown to bosses'
Most employers do not know of new laws requiring professional drivers to take eye tests more often, a study by Specsaverse claims.
Specsavers said up to a third of those who drive for work could have substandard vision. And the optician's poll of 187 firms found 78% - more than three-quarters - were unaware of the legislation.
The new proposals call for commercial licence holders to get their eyes tested every five years, and private licence holders every 10 to 15 years. The legislation covering such tests was passed in the EU Parliament in 2006 and is set to be introduced in 2011.
Member states must make sure that the directive is national law by 2013. Meanwhile, a survey of 2,000 UK drivers revealed that 17% of the respondents who suffered accidents in the last year did so due to poor vision or not wearing glasses.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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