Essilor Joins Forces with United Nations in Global Efforts for Road Safety

Monday, February 10 2020 | 16 h 23 min | News

Essilor announced it pledges a first of its kind donation of 1 million glasses and sunglasses to the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNSRF), as they partner to promote global action on good vision for road users. The announcement comes ahead of the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference (February 19-20) in Stockholm, to set the agenda for achieving the UN 2030 goals for road safety.

Every day 3,700 people die on the world’s roads, making road accidents the leading cause of death among children and young adults aged 5–29. Preventing traffic-related injuries and fatalities is crucial to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health, cities and infrastructure, where road safety plays an important role.

With up to 90% of the information needed on the road coming through our eyes, good vision is critical for drivers, bikers, cyclists and pedestrians to take safe and appropriate decisions. However, there is a substantial lack of awareness about the importance of good vision, and access to sustainable eye care remains limited in large parts of the world, with 1 in 3 people still suffering from uncorrected poor vision.

By partnering with the UNRSF, Essilor will leverage its track-record in vision care to contribute to safe mobility across the globe. In addition to the donation of 1 million glasses and sunglasses between now and 2030, a landmark year for the SDGs, the Group will continue to innovate for solutions to diagnose, correct, protect and enhance the vision of all road users.

This latest decision by Essilor to join the UNRSF further reinforces the Company’s commitment towards road safety, which goes back to Essilor’s partnership with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), signed in 2017, to jointly lead the fight against poor vision on the road.

Click HERE for the full press release.