IVI says its campaign aims to give better vision for Chennai auto drivers during Road Safety Week

This would include taxi, auto, bus and lorry drivers.

This is part of IVI’s longer-term campaign to make roads safer through clear vision.

IVI’s CEO Vinod Daniel said, “Uncorrected refractive error among commercial vehicle drivers including truckers is a major problem. IVI has in the last couple of years vision screened some 110,000 commercial vehicle drivers and provided spectacles to those with uncorrected refractive errors. We plan to screen another 25,000 drivers in Chennai.”

At Chennai’s Chintadripet Ritchie Street neighbourhood, an auto service hub, Jodi McKay, National Chair, Australia-India Business Council (AIBC), recently distributed spectacles to drivers from those vision screened so far. Some 60 drivers will benefit from today's screening.

All drivers screened and found to have uncorrected refractive errors are being provided corrective glasses.

Those present at the distribution included Irfan Malik, National Associate Chair, AIBC, and IVI’s CEO Vinod Daniel.

McKay said, “As a former Member of Parliament of NSW and involved in road safety issues, I am delighted to see the good work being undertaken to address the vision of drivers. IVI’s work would help make roads safer.”

“Of the commercial vehicle drivers and allied staff screened so far, IVI has found 59% to have vision problems and 24% with difficulty seeing distant objects. Over 2% had severe issues that would make it unsafe for them to drive,” Daniel added.