Mumbai, Mar 25: With road traffic crashes claiming nearly 1.19 million lives globally each year, experts are increasingly highlighting the critical role of vision in ensuring road safety. Despite its importance in detecting hazards, judging distances, and reading road signs, eye health continues to remain an overlooked factor in road safety frameworks.
To address this gap, the Vision and Road Safety (VARS) Conference 2026 was convened in Mumbai at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre. The conference is a collaborative initiative by India Vision Institute, Mission for Vision, Sightsavers India, and VisionSpring Foundation, bringing together stakeholders from transport, healthcare, research, and development sectors.
Research presented at the conference revealed that drivers with cataracts are 2.5 times more likely to be involved in at-fault crashes. Additionally, over 26% of truck drivers have refractive errors, yet less than half use prescribed corrective eyewear. In India, which accounts for nearly 11% of global road fatalities despite having only about 1% of the world’s vehicles, road accidents remain a significant public health and economic concern.
A key highlight of the conference was the call to recognise vision as the fifth “E” of road safety—alongside Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Medical Services. Experts emphasised that integrating vision screening, access to corrective eyewear, and policy support could significantly reduce preventable road accidents.
The VARS network has already made notable progress, screening approximately 2.5 million drivers and providing over 1.17 million pairs of eyeglasses. Plans are underway to extend screenings to an additional 300,000 drivers across India, further strengthening road safety outcomes.
The conference also explored integrating vision screening into national and state road safety policies, aligning with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, which aims to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50%.
In a joint statement, representatives of the VARS Alliance said,
“Safe driving begins with clear vision, yet eye health is often overlooked. Making vision screening and corrective care a routine part of driver health systems can significantly reduce road crashes and save lives.”
With participation from over 100 stakeholders—including government officials, road safety experts, eye health professionals, and civil society organisations—the conference served as a vital platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and advancing actionable solutions.
The initiative underscores the urgent need to prioritise vision care as a core component of road safety, paving the way for safer roads and healthier communities.
