Twelve million fashion-conscious women drivers of Britain are risking their lives by wearing sunglasses which limit their view of the road. The vast majority of Britain‘s 14.4million female motorists admit to putting style before safety, research shows. 4 L! c# k) v7 T) M& T c6 Z: O' F" zBut road safety experts say they should jettison the chunky wide-armed variety of sunglasses worn by Kylie Minogue, Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham - as well as those with pink or very dark lenses.( w9 c, q7 V6 t, f
The Eyecare Trust charity also advised women to make safety their first priority with sunglasses for driving.# ^8 v7 b& u9 `
More than eight out of ten women surveyed failed to consider safety when choosing sunglasses for driving - equivalent to 11.8million female motorists. 8 ?2 Q+ R+ d3 n L- x$ s! L) B& [3 XOne in ten - 1.3million - drive in wide-armed glasses that severely restrict their peripheral vision. A further 7 per cent wear lenses that are so dark they are illegal for driving.! U9 Y4 [# S4 c4 j: }) y
The researchers commissioned by insurer Sheilas‘ Wheels also found that fewer than one in five of women bought sunglasses specifically for driving while almost two-thirds based their choice on appearance rather than practicality.