80% of drivers have eye problems: BRTA

Around 80% drivers in the country are suffering from eye related problems that are leading to unexpected accidents, according to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

The BRTA findings are based on a medical camp organised this month to examine the eye related problems of 289 drivers.

The medical camp also conducted separate health checkups on 249 drivers and found most drivers in Bangladesh suffer from high blood pressure.

BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder shared the findings at a press briefing on Tuesday.

"From 11 October, we examined drivers' eyes, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels at various bus terminals and professional driver training centres across the country, including Dhaka," he said.

Out of 289 drivers examined, 164 were found to have vision problems, 67 had other eye problems, he added.

"Many drivers have minor eye problems that can be fixed by wearing glasses. Therefore, they do not need to stop driving. We recommend that they wear glasses at all times while driving. For those with more serious eye problems, we are providing treatment," Nur Mohammad said.

Additionally, out of 249 drivers tested for primary health – blood pressure and random blood sugar (RBS) levels – 47 had high blood pressure, 69 had high RBS levels, and 109 had smoking related problems, according to the BRTA Chairman.

Ahsania Mission, Lions Club, and Rotary Club jointly formed a team to visit three bus terminals in Dhaka City Corporation, BRTA's Joar Sahara Training Centre, Dhaka Metro-3 Circle Office Training Centre in Diabari, BRTA Cumilla, Shilpakala Academy, and Rajshahi City to conduct medical and eye tests on professional drivers.

Earlier, a 2019 study by Brac's Road Safety Programme on the eye health of transport workers found that around 50% of them suffer from eyesight problems.

Brac, in partnership with Junior Chamber International (JCI), conducted eye tests on 1,200 transport workers at an eye camp, of whom over 700 were drivers and helpers.

The study found that 94% of transport workers with eyesight problems were aware of their condition, and 87% of them intended to seek medical care.

At the time, transport workers also reported other eye-related problems, such as reading difficulties, dry eyes, itching, and watery eyes.

When asked if any actions were taken after the Brac study, Mahbub-E-Rabbani, director of the BRTA (road safety division), told The Business Standard, "We have organised several eye-checking programmes and made arrangements for treatments."

He explained that BRTA does not have the regular duty to check drivers' eyes, nor does it have the necessary infrastructure to always provide them with treatment. However, the agency does conduct eye check-ups from time to time with the assistance of sponsors and development partners to raise awareness among drivers, since most drivers are unaware of their eye problems before a check-up.

He added, "Our primary role is that of a licensing authority. When a licence is issued for licence or its renewal, it is mandatory for applicants to submit an eye health certificate from a physician."

Rabbani further explained, "There are instances where individuals had no eye problems when they initially obtained their driver's licence, but later developed issues which they became aware of during the renewal process."

Rising road accidents

As the number of drivers with eye and health problems has increased, so too has the number of road accidents.

According to data from the Road Safety Foundation, there were 4,693 road accidents in 2019, but this number rose to 6,829 in 2022.

Saidur Rahman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation, said that road accidents are closely related to drivers' physical and mental health, and that good eyesight is essential for driving.

He praised the BRTA's decision to organise medical camps to identify drivers' health issues, and urged the agency to continue providing this service on a regular basis, as other countries do.

"Most countries around the world have a system to regularly check the health of drivers," he said. "The government should develop such a system, and the BRTA should take the lead in making proposals to the relevant ministry."

Kazi Md Shifun Newaz, assistant professor at the Accident Research Institute, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), stated that to address this issue, there is a need to raise awareness among drivers. The BRTA is doing that but it is not possible for them to conduct regular eye checks for drivers.

He suggested, "The government should consider establishing regular medical camps at transport terminals or partnering with hospitals. This way, transport workers can receive low-cost check-ups on a priority basis. In such a case, the government would need to provide subsidies."