Road safety reminder for older and experienced drivers
Date published:
Anne Flanagan had been driving for 50 years when she was told, during a routine eye examination, that she needed glasses for driving.
Anne said the news was a “complete surprise” as she had assumed her eyesight was fine.
However, she noticed a significant improvement in her vision when wearing glasses while driving.
Anne has now added her voice to the Department for Infrastructure’s Share the Road to Zero community engagement campaign, which aims to reduce road deaths by encouraging us to take more responsibility and care on the roads.
A number of high profile sports stars have backed the initiative including Ulster Ladies GAA and Armagh captain Clodagh McCambridge, Olympian Ciara Mageean, Liverpool and Northern Ireland footballer Conor Bradley, Ulster Rugby trio Jacob Stockdale, Nick Timoney, and Michael Lowry, Ulster GAA star Rory Grugan, senior women’s footballer Emily Wilson and Belfast Giants.
The Northern Ireland Football League, PSNI, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and councils are among other organisations that have signed up to the campaign.
Anne said she was delighted to add her name to the campaign:
“I’ve always been very aware of the personal responsibility I have when I get behind the wheel of my car and turn on the ignition.
“That personal responsibility came into sharp focus recently when I had an eye test and was told I needed glasses for driving- news that came as a complete surprise to me.
“Naively, I had assumed my eyesight for driving was just fine. Yet I can’t believe the improvement those glasses have made - my long-distance vision is now much sharper, and I’ve noticed a significant difference when driving in bad weather or very bright conditions; everything is so much clearer.
“We often hear about younger drivers, but each of us who gets behind the wheel, including older and experienced drivers, has a responsibility to make our roads safer.
“We all benefit from reminders to take extra care on the roads. However, as I, an older driver, have discovered, being a responsible road user also requires us to be conscious of how our general health and eyesight can impact our driving and to take whatever action is needed.
“If we do that, we will help keep ourselves and other road users safe.”
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said:
“I want to thank Anne for highlighting important road safety messages by reminding us of steps we can take to be responsible road users.
“Sadly too many people are killed and seriously injured on our roads every year and more than 95% of road deaths are due to human error.
“We can all make a difference and help save lives by taking more care when using the roads.
“Our recent Fitness to Drive campaign is a reminder to us all to follow the right steps in the event of illness or eyesight issues.
“Anne’s experience, discovering she needed glasses to drive for the first time after many years, is useful to hear. If we all keep ourselves right by taking personal responsibility, we will help make roads safer.
“The sad reality is that if we do not change our own attitudes when we are using the roads, our death toll will continue to increase.”
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption: Anne Flanagan reminds us of the importance of road safety as she signs up to the Share the Road to Zero campaign. Included is DfI Minster Liz Kimmins.
- WATCH: Anne Flanagan, who has been driving for 50 years, tells us why she has decided to add her voice to the Department for Infrastructure’s ‘Share the Road to Zero’ campaign – https://youtu.be/VMv_p4fdJpo
- Pledging to ‘Share the Road to Zero’ is an online click of a button via www.sharetheroadtozero.com
- The Department for Infrastructure has launched a social media campaign to raise awareness around fitness to drive.
- Information on driving eyesight requirements is available on nidirect
- All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk
- The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
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