World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims: Vision Impact Institute Encourages Efforts to Link Good Vision to Safer Roads

Inclusion of vision in road safety conversation is crucial to reducing accidents.

DALLAS,Nov. 13,2020 --On November 15,the Vision Impact Institute will join organizations around the world to commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

According to the World Health Organization,1.35 million people died on the world's roads and 50 million were injured in 2018. Nearly 50% of those deaths are "vulnerable road users" - pedestrians,cyclists,and motorcyclists.

While the causes of traffic accidents are numerous,poor vision on the road is a serious,and often underestimated,risk factor. Research suggests that vision is crucial to drivingas 90% of the information people need to drive passes through their eyes.

For too many years,vision has not been included in the road safety conversation. Recently progress has been made. In April,the United Nations formulated recommendations to governments for enhancing national road systems in the framework of its 2021–2030 2nd UN Decade of Action for Road Safety Plan. This included a call to ensure that road users around the world have good vision.

"We are so pleased to see vision included in the conversation on road safety," says Kristan Gross,Global Executive Director,Vision Impact Institute. "As we rebuild our economies,safer mobility will become even more important. We must ensure that all citizens have an equal chance to arrive at their workplaces,schools,and homes safely – and good vision should play a significant role."

ABOUT THE VISION IMPACT INSTITUTE (VII)

The organization's mission is to raise awareness ofthe importance of vision correction and protection to make good vision a global priority. Its Advisory Board is comprised of six independent international experts: Pr. Kevin Frick(United States),Pr. Clare Gilbert (United Kingdom),Mr. Allyala Nandakumar (United States),Mr. Arun Bharat Ram (India),Dr. Serge Resnikoff (Switzerland),and Dr. Wang Wei (China).

The VII is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization,which receives support from the Vision for Life Fund from Essilor,the world leader in ophthalmic optics. The organization hosts a unique research database atvisionimpactinstitute.org.

Contact:

Andrea Kirsten-Coleman

Global Communications Manager

andrea.kirsten@visionimpactinstitute.org