Specsavers and Arval join forces to raise driver eyecare standards

Arval is working with Specsavers Corporate Eyecare to encourage driver eyecare among its employees and customers alike.

The leasing company is campaigning to promote eyecare among the drivers and fleet managers of more than 90,000 company cars and vans that it leases in the UK. Leading by example, Arval is also working with its own employees to ensure high standards of eyecare.

Arval has trialled the Specsavers Corporate Eyecare’s eVoucher system for employee eyecare. This allowed Arval to administer its eyecare policy online and distribute electronic vouchers directly.

Different eVouchers are available to cover the specific requirements of VDU eyewear, safety eyewear or driver eyecare.

Suzanne Randall, corporate account manager for Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, said: “Previously Arval employees visited their own choice of optician and were reimbursed via expenses. This often proves to result in widely differing levels of service for the employee and equally widely differing costs for the employer.”

Arval has also held several eyecare roadshows to promote the importance of eyecare to employees.

The aim is to communicate the wider benefits of eyecare, including how an eye examination can help with the detection and monitoring of serious health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Specsavers provided portable vision screening facilities to check the distance vision of drivers in particular, and the local Specsavers store in Swindon undertook hearing screening.

Arval is committed to road safety and runs many initiatives for its customers, including a road safety forum and free driver seminars.

Specsavers Corporate Eyecare is also dedicated to this cause and is currently revamping its Driver Information Packs to highlight the issues and provide essential facts and advice for employers and fleet managers.

With the significant reach of its business, Arval will be the first to issue these packs to its customers to raise awareness of the need for good driver eyesight.

Tracey Fuller, CSR manager at Arval, said: “We consistently promote good road safety practices to our employees and to our customers.

“While companies have risk-management procedures in place to test the safety of the vehicle, it is important that the vision of the driver is not neglected.

“The roadshows that we held for our employees were extremely successful in communicating the importance of driver eyecare and we’re looking forward to distributing the new Specsavers Corporate Driver Information packs to our customers to raise awareness of this important safety area.”