Dark nights, bright kids with Specsavers
Children in Scotland will be more visible when they are out and about, thanks to their local Specsavers store
This Road Safety Week (November 18-24), Specsavers has teamed up with road safety charity, Brake, to encourage people to ‘step up for safe streets’.
As well as encouraging drivers to have their eyes checked to ensure they are safe to drive, Specsavers stores across Scotland will be donating highvisibility vests to schools and community groups to help make sure children are seen as the days get darker.
Jill McArthur, Chair of Specsavers in Scotland says: ‘We’re proud to be teaming up with Brake to try and make our roads safer. With the days getting darker, these vests will help make sure children are visible when they are out on the roads. This Road Safety Week we also want to encourage drivers to “step up for safe streets” by having regular eye tests to make sure their eyesight is as good as it can be.’
Specsavers will donate more than 7,000 vests to schools and communities groups in Scotland as part of the initiative. Each store will store will receive an allocation which will then be issued locally.
Joshua Harris, Director of Campaigns from Brake, says: ‘Every 20 minutes, someone on a British road is killed or seriously injured. Every death or serious injury on the road is preventable and that’s why we’re asking everyone to “step up for safe streets” this Road Safety Week. We’re delighted to partner with Specsavers as good eyesight is so important for road safety, whatever mode of transport you use to get around.
‘School children are some of our most vulnerable road users and so it’s fantastic to see Specsavers partnering with local schools this Road Safety Week’.
Jill McArthur adds: ‘Regular eye examination is a legal requirement for drivers but it is your personal responsibility to ensure you are having your eyes tested frequently to ensure our roads are safe for other drivers as well as pedestrians.
‘We’d urge every road user to help make our roads safer whether it’s booking an eye examination, carrying a spare pair of specs in your car, not driving when tired, or even drive less and use public transport more.
‘Everyone needs to ‘step up’ to help keep our roads and children safe while out on the streets during the dark evenings. The vest donation is part of Specsavers’ ongoing support for Road Safety Week and we hope making children clearly visible to motorists will help keep our streets safer.’
Road Safety Week is the UK's biggest road safety event, coordinated annually by Brake, the road safety charity.
Road Safety Week aims to inspire thousands of schools, organisations and communities to take action on road safety and promote life-saving messages during the Week and beyond. It also provides a focal point for professionals working in road safety to boost awareness and engagement in their work.
For further information on the Brake ‘step up for safer streets’ campaign for Road Safety Week, please visit: http://www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/ourtheme/. To book an eye test, visit www.specsavers.co.uk or drop in to your nearest store.