Vision Impact Institute encourages linking good vision to safer roads

Non-profit organization Vision Impact Institute has encouraged the efforts of linking good vision to safer roads by joining organizations around the world on the occasion of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Poor vision is one of the most crucial factors behind fatal road accidents but has not been included in conversations around road safety for many years. The vision institute that raises awareness of the benefits of corrected vision to guide public policy decisions, has been at the forefront of making good vision a global priority.

As per the World Health Organization, 1.35 million people died on the world's roads and 50 million were injured in 2018. Nearly 50% of these deaths were of 'vulnerable road users' such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. There may be various factors associated with these accidents but poor vision on road is one of the most serious, and often underestimated, factor.

As per a research, 90% of the information people need while driving passes through their eyes, making good vision a crucial part of driving vehicles. Though the issue has been ignored for quite long, it has recently seen the light of the day.

In April, the United Nations formulated recommendations to governments around the world for enhancing national road systems in the framework of its 2021–2030 2nd UN Decade of Action for Road Safety Plan. This included a call to ensure that road users around the world have good vision. "We are so pleased to see vision included in the conversation on road safety," Kristan Gross, Global Executive Director, Vision Impact Institute, was quoted as saying by PTI. "As we rebuild our economies, safer mobility will become even more important. We must ensure that all citizens have an equal chance to arrive at their workplaces, schools, and homes safely – and good vision should play a significant role."

(with inputs from PTI)