Over a quarter (27 per cent) of female motorists should wear glasses whilst driving but do not always do so, with 10 per cent of women questioned admitting to feeling embarrassed by how they look in unfashionable specs.
The 'Vanity and Vision' poll of female motorists, conducted by Sheilas' Wheels car insurance, reveals that more than one in ten (11 per cent) admitted to being involved in an accident or near-miss in the last year as a result of bad eye sight. In fact, accidents as a result of poor vision behind the wheel cost £981 on average.
More than a third (34 per cent) of women polled admitted that they feel 'self-conscious' in glasses and almost a quarter (23 per cent) said that their specs make them feel 'unfashionable'. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of female motorists questioned even admitted that they have chosen fashion sunglasses over prescription lenses at least once whilst driving.
Just 15 per cent of motorists with glasses 'always' keep a spare pair in their car, but perhaps even more worryingly, six per cent believe they can 'get away with' not wearing their specs at all for short journeys
Over half (55 per cent) of women polled admit to slowing down to read road signs - potentially causing drivers behind to break suddenly or lower their speed. A further 42 per cent of motorists even rely on their passengers to read road signs for them.
So what happens if that passenger is also too vain to wear her glasses? Talk about the blind leading the blind.
Jackie Violet - Female First