SAFETY FOR EVERYONE ON THE ROAD

Vision impairment can reduce driving safety and increase motor vehicle collisions, thereby affecting sustainable cities and communities, SDG 11, target 11.2, which aims to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all. However, the assumption of good vision, necessary to safely operate a vehicle, has long caused uncorrected vision to be overlooked as a factor in road safety. Studies show that drivers with cataract were 2.5 times more likely to have a history of at-fault crash involvement in the prior 5 years. With a high burden of traffic crashes and associated mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, awareness of the association between vision function and traffic safety outcomes must be acknowledged and acted upon. Governments must ensure that road infrastructure improvements and investments consider the connection between road safety and visual impairment, improving ready access to eye care services for drivers and evidence-based legislation to mitigate the risks.