It is estimated that myopia – short sight affects between 30% and 50% of people. Reports imply that the number of near-sighted people is increasing. I have worn glasses since I was 13 years old. I wear glasses all day every day. Without glasses anything a little way from me becomes blurred.

A rudimentary eye test is part of acquiring a Qatar driving licence. I passed wearing my glasses. If I took my glasses off when driving, I would be able to see the road ahead and the cars, however any detail would be completely out of focus.

Try counting the number of people driving vehicles who do not wear spectacles. Lets ignore contact lens wearers… we should expect at least one-in-four drivers wearing corrective lenses… but it’s nowhere near that.

Does this contribute to Qatar’s high road accident rate?