Sight is a key factor for driving, so here’s what drivers should be aware of
We all know how important having good sight is for drivers, after all, it could be the difference between a safe trip and a dangerous accident. That is why this year, the Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology (MSO) held a campaign to promote awareness of this in conjunction with World Sight day and here’s what you need to know about it.
World Sight day falls on the second Thursday of every October so this year, that would be 13 October 2022. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Love Your Eyes” and calls for everyone to prioritize their eyes while advocating for affordable eye care across the globe.
Moreover, to show that the MSO is not just all talk, they have also donated a total of RM10,000 to the Pan Disability Football Club Malaysia. The Club coaches the Malaysian National Blind Football Team so this donation will put a spotlight on the issues highlighted by World Sight Day and prove they can also walk the walk.
On top of that, MSO held a press event to commemorate World Sight Day and present the mock cheque to the football team. In this event, MSO prepared a joint statement with the Malaysian Health Coalition which brought up four main points to integrate vision care into holistic public health.
The first point is to implement a routine annual eye screening among at-risk populations. This is due to the increased cases of short-sightedness among children which could impact their sight in adulthood detrimentally.
Next, MSO urges all platforms including social media to eliminate dubious and misleading advertisements for eye products. World Sight Day is about more than just spreading awareness, it also seeks to stop the spreading of fake and harmful news and that starts with you.
The third point from MSO for this World Sight day is to practise strict adherence to workplace eye safety. MSO recommends we all use the 20-20-20 rule at the workplace. This rule basically states that we should look away from our devices after 20 minutes of use to look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
The fourth and final point would be to strictly regulate and enforce consumer fireworks. While there are already legislations in place, MSO is calling for stricter enforcement of said legislations. The full joint statements can be found here in English and here in Bahasa Malaysia.
Without good vision, we cannot be good drivers so always remember to take care of your eyes and if you can, do your part to assist this World Sight Day by spreading awareness.
