Close to one in five drivers has said that they’d delayed their recommended two-year eyesight check-up, a new survey has found.

The study also found that six per cent of drivers believed it had been more than five years since their last eye test.

The study of 2,113 drivers conducted by Glasses Direct Transitions also found that 14 per cent of drivers admitted to avoiding going to the optician for fear of losing their driving licence.

David Hutchfield, qualified optician and head of professional services from Glasses Direct said: “If you need to wear glasses for driving — indicated by a 01 code under section 12 on your driving licence — then you must also get sunglasses that adhere to your prescription and not just off-the-shelf glasses.

“Worryingly, this doesn’t seem to be common knowledge as only five per cent of drivers who are required to wear glasses (and have the code) could accurately identify it”.

Seven per cent have delayed their driving test because they’re worried about losing their independence, while a further four per cent know they need to go to the opticians but can’t afford the required changes to their prescription.

These figures also worsen with age, with the over 65s the most likely group to risk driving dangerously. The survey also found that 14 per cent of drivers had been involved in a collision or near-miss because of impaired vision on the road.

Abarth has used facial recognition technology to ‘better understand the emotions’ of the driver and passengers in its cars.

Working alongside Loughborough University, the performance car brand carried out the experiment with its F595, 595 Essesse and 595 Competizione models. Participants were put through a number of driving challenges at Mallory Park, Leicestershire, including hot laps and precision driving tasks.

The results showed that the ‘most prominent’ emotion experienced during the test was happiness, both by driver and passenger.

However, when participants were taken around the circuit by professional drivers who could push the car to its limits, participants experienced short bursts of fear and shock, as well as happiness as before.

The facial recognition technology was used in conjunction with heart rate sensors which allowed the test’s organisers to accurately detect a variety of emotions in those included in the study.

Dr Dale Esliger at Loughborough University, who led the trial, said: “The constellation of biometric equipment that we used allowed us to accurately detect an array of emotions that were experienced when driver’s and passenger’s get into an Abarth, while detecting the most prominent emotion during the respective driving activities.

“Research within this remit is limited, however, I suspect it will be an area within the automotive industry that will continue to be explored, as manufacturers strive to improve the driving experiences of their cars.”

This recent test follows on from another study by Abarth and Loughborough University which found that driving on a circuit had a more positive impact on a person’s mood than a visit to the gym. It found that people were 20 per cent happier when taking on a precision driving circuit when compared with a gym workout consisting of cardio and weights sessions.

The last Ford Escort RS Cosworth ever made is going under the hammer at auction.

Offered by online auction platform Collecting Cars, this particular RS Cosworth was owned for the last 24 years by Dieter Hahne, former manager of Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering department. Hahne was the driving force behind the development of the famous RS Cosworth.

When series production of the Cosworth ended in January 1996 at the Karmann factory in Rheine, Germany, Ford still had enough parts left for two more vehicles. The pair were constructed, with this example being the second in line and the last one ever made by Karmann. The penultimate car was made for Wilhelm Karmann Jr., the then-chairman of the firm.

For its first two years, the Escort RS Cosworth was used by a Karmann project manager as a company vehicle, before Hahne acquired it in 1998. He then had it formally registered – it has been driven on trade plates previously – through means of Single Type Approval.

After 24 years, Hahne decided it was finally time to auction the car off for someone else to enjoy.

Finished in the original Ford colour of Auralis Blue, the RS Cosworth has a black leather interior with Recaro seats. It comes complete with original 16-inch alloy wheels with Continental SportContact2 tyres. It also has a modified 94 model-year Escort bonnet and grille – an original item – which was fitted because the ‘91 model-year bonnet was no longer available.

Given a recent oil service, the RS Cosworth has also received a new clutch and two ignition coils in the last few years. It also comes with a ‘comprehensive’ service history from August 1998 right the way to the present day.

The auction is now live and will come to a close on the evening of Monday November 7.

Visiting family is the number one priority for drivers planning their first journeys when the lockdown lifts, according to a new survey.

The AA asked 19,732 drivers where they were most likely to head in their cars when the lockdown restrictions were lifted and 38 per cent said they’d visit family, while 12 per cent were desperate for a haircut and 10 per cent wanted a drive in the country.

However, the AA found that one fifth are planning to drive less when the government eases movement restrictions.

The AA said 22 per cent of respondents plan to do more social activities with people they live with such as days out or even board games after lockdown and that’s even more of a priority for those aged 25-34, with just under half agreeing with this (44 per cent).

AA president Edmund King said: “Potentially there could be major changes to the way we travel post-lockdown. Analysis suggests that one fifth might use public transport less in cities.

“Outside of London, which has parking and congestion charging restrictions, we could see an increase in car use in other cities where people shun public transport for fear of the virus.”

The survey also found respondents were planning a variety of lifestyle changes too, with 36 per cent revealing they planned to exercise more and 40 per cent planning more outdoor activities.

While currently two-thirds surveyed (66 per cent) are working from home, one third (34 per cent) said they can’t work from home and 11 per cent said they would work from home more often after the lockdown lifts.

King added: “Life after lockdown will be different. Some will shun public transport, others will drive less, more will cycle and walk, working from home will continue for many.

“Some drivers who have appreciated lower traffic noise, fewer and shorter journeys, may be prompted finally to buy an electric vehicle.

“So all in all, life will return and the increase in car use in some areas instead of public transport will be countered by others realising that they can use their cars less by working from home or even walking and cycling more.”

A large number of car manufacturers are causing owners ‘unnecessary stress’ because they can’t get their vehicles serviced during the lockdown.

Drivers who need to get their car serviced are worried that missing a check-up could invalidate their warranty. Usually, car firms penalise those that do miss service intervals by revoking their cover.

Some car manufacturers have come out with blanket extensions to calm worried owners, but other brands are refusing to budge.

AA president Edmund King said: “In these uncertain times, everyone should be following government guidance concerning non-essential travel.

“For the majority of car owners with a vehicle under warranty that is rarely being used, it should not be essential to have a standard service now.

“Expecting drivers to go for a standard maintenance service during lockdown is against the spirit of government advice. We felt that the government took a sensible and pragmatic approach to MOTs and believe that manufacturers should show similar flexibility and common sense.

“Telling drivers to do something seemingly contrary to government advice may also add unnecessary stress to owners.”

Jim Holder, editorial director of Autocar and What Car? Magazines, added: “From a national perspective there is a wider responsibility for car manufacturers to act with integrity at this critical juncture, and they should put the needs of the country and the care of our critical workers before the need to get cars serviced.”

Car dealerships were shut by the government on March 23, but their workshops and garages have remained open. This is designed to keep key workers on the move and not for the general public to have their cars serviced.

An MOT extension of six months and lasting for a year is in place as of March 30 to stop drivers worrying about getting their car checked, and experts believe this should set a precedent for servicing too.

PA Media contacted every UK car manufacturer and asked what sort of leeway they were offering customers when it came to getting their cars serviced.

The VW Group – including Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat – wouldn’t offer a blanket extension. All the brands said they would deal with issues on a ‘case-by-case basis’. Porsche, part of the same group, said customers who made a request for a service in writing that couldn’t be completed due to the lockdown ‘would not be penalised’.

Alongside the VW Group, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Honda and Jeep have all refused to issue an automatic extension. Advice from those brands varied, with most asking customers to contact the firm’s respective customer services department.

BMW, Citroen, Dacia, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Volvo have all issued blanket extensions for their customers who would have needed to get a service during the lockdown. These vary in time and mileage, but will give customers peace of mind.

Kia has put no limit on the time or mileage within which customers need to get their car serviced.

A spokesman said: “We don’t know how long it will go on for so we don’t want to put false limits on the length of time, so that people don’t need to worry about getting their car serviced – people can’t have it done right now, we understand that, and they shouldn’t worry.

“People need to look after their car wherever possible if they can by checking the oil and tyres, but car servicing is not important right now – what is important is staying home and protecting the NHS.”

MG and Rolls-Royce both failed to respond to PA Media’s request for comment.

All car manufacturers offering extensions and for how long

Maker / Time extension / Mileage allowed
BMW – Three months / 2,000
Citroen – Three months / 1,800
Dacia – One month / Not specified
Ford – Three months / 1,000
Hyundai – 3 months / 1,500
Jaguar – Two months / 2,000
Kia – Not specified / Not specified
Land Rover – Two months / 2,000
Mazda – Not specified / 1,875
Mercedes – Three months / 3,728
Nissan – Not specified / Not specified
Peugeot – Three months / 1,800
Renault – One month / Not specified
Vauxhall – Three months / 1,800
Volvo – Three months / Not specified

Visitors to the Geneva International Motor Show should ensure they have exhibited no signs of the coronavirus 14 days prior to attending – and if they have, stay away.

That’s the updated safety advice issued today from organisers of the show set to take place next week (March 5-15) at the Palexpo in Switzerland.

The motor show, which attracts 600,000 visitors a year from across the world, is due to open on Tuesday, March 3, for VIP access ahead of the public days beginning on Thursday, March 5.

Organisers are monitoring the coronavirus outbreak daily and taking advice from the authorities in Switzerland as the event hangs in the balance.

Geneva International Motor Show managing director Olivier Rihs told the PA news agency that a decision to close the show could be taken up until the morning of the event, and throughout its run, but that currently “everything is going ahead as planned”.

He added: “The advice from the authorities here in Geneva is that the show can continue – and they are the only ones who can say yes or no to the show going ahead.

“We have had no exhibitors pull out. They are all here and building their stands.”

Asked if he felt it was responsible to continue to hold the show in light of the growing health crisis, especially as large areas across the border in Italy are quarantined, he said he felt it was.

Rihs added: “Our priority is the health of exhibitors and visitors. If we had to close the event, then so too would the UN in Geneva have to shut its doors because they have visitors from across the world too.

“At the moment there is no danger and no reason to cancel our show.”

Palexpo SA – the organisers – have today issued updated advice to visitors from “at-risk areas” to ensure they have shown no signs of coronavirus symptoms in the 14 days prior to their arrival in the country.

Rihs admitted, though, that this does rely on visitors “self certifying themselves as healthy” before attending.

“The advice from the authorities here in Geneva is that the show can continue”

A statement said: “The organisers encourage exhibitors from at-risk areas to ensure that their staff pass the necessary checks and do not show any symptoms of infection in the 14 days prior to their arrival in Switzerland, so as to avoid any risk of spread that could result from their presence in Geneva.

“Palexpo is in regular contact with the General Directorate of Health of the Republic and Canton of Geneva and its medical advisor to develop a sanitary action plan, adjustable in real time.”

Organisers have increased their cleaning and disinfection routine at the show, implemented more signage and have put in place new training for staff.

Two weeks ago, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, which attracts 100,000 visitors from across the world, was cancelled, the first time the show had been called off in 33 years. Organisers blamed the coronavirus outbreak.

A spokesperson for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which represents the automotive industry in the UK, said it was still planning on attending the Geneva Motor Show.

“It is up to individual manufacturers to decide whether they still want to attend the show, but we have not received any advice from health authorities,” said the spokesperson. “We’ll be continuing to take a watching brief on the situation as it develops.”

TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson swapped Porsches for potatoes today (February 22) as he threw open the doors to his farm shop for the first time.

At the Squat Shop – named after his farm Diddly Squat – located near Chipping Norton, Cotswolds, the Grand Tour host sold potatoes, raffled off water in yellow bottles and gave away cider that had been donated by Blur’s Alex James.

Clarkson has been running the 1,000-acre farm for more than a year for a forthcoming Amazon Prime show called “I Bought A Farm”.

At the shop’s “grand opening”, Clarkson cheerily sold potatoes to a steady stream of members of the public who queued to get in.

Clarkson told the PA news agency: “It’s going really well. We’ve had a good turn out and we’ve had more customers than Aldi – we’re putting the German giants out of business.

“This is the end of supermarket shopping!

My farm shop opens tomorrow afternoon. Twitter friendly as it’s unheated and meat free. Do drop in if you’re in the Chipping Norton area.

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) February 21, 2020

“Farming is hard work, but it is rewarding when you sell potatoes and other produce as it comes on song. I’m only selling what is seasonal. The pumpkins, lavender and the honey will all be coming – so there’s quite a lot to do.

“And you thought this was going to be a car interview… “

Clarkson’s shop sold potatoes for £1.02 per 2kg, declaring them “cheaper than Aldi” on the labels. Shelves where “mildly organic” horseradish and “good exercise chicken eggs” had been were empty.

View this post on Instagram

My farm shop. Grand opening tomorrow afternoon. All welcome. OX7 3PE

A post shared by Jeremy Clarkson (@jeremyclarkson1) on Feb 21, 2020 at 5:46am PST

Elsewhere on the farmland were Clarkson’s health and safety style signs which told visitors “do NOT catch fire” near an open fire, and “Don’t fall in this big hole” near a hole in the ground.

Tom Hogg, 28, from Witney, said: “The farm shop is really, really good. It’s great to see Jeremy completely diverting his paths. He’s creating something that people can come to and get locally sourced, organic food.

View this post on Instagram

Putting the finishing touches to our farm shop which soon, will put the supermarkets out of business. Bye bye Aldi.

A post shared by Jeremy Clarkson (@jeremyclarkson1) on Feb 21, 2020 at 11:59am PST

“It’s been grown on the land locally and that is a great step – it tastes much better. And he is supporting smaller entities by doing it. It’s in a wonderful setting where he’s decided to do this. He’s kept it raw, he’s kept it a farm and that’s really important.”

Sam Brooke, 20, from Cheltenham added: “It’s been great to meet Jeremy today – I’ve always watched Jeremy on all the shows he does and I love that he’s doing this.”

There is no official release date for “I Bought A Farm” yet but it is expected later this year.

Geneva Motor Show organisers have said the event will still be going ahead as planned, despite the deepening coronavirus crisis cancelling a technology show in Europe.

Yesterday, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, which attracts 100,000 visitors from across the world, was cancelled, the first time the show had been called off in 33 years. Organisers blamed the coronavirus outbreak.

Now, organisers of arguably Europe’s most important car show – which attracts 600,000 visitors – have admitted they are carefully monitoring the coronavirus outbreak on an “hour-by-hour” basis.

A spokesperson for the Geneva Motor Show – set to be held between March 5-15 at the Palexpo – told the PA news agency that currently the show “was still going ahead”, but admitted they were cautiously watching the situation evolve.

Laura Manon, spokesperson for the show, said: “The news that the Mobile World Congress has been cancelled has just reached us and is a shock. We are carefully looking at the situation and taking advice from health organisations here in Geneva and the World Health Organisation with regards to our show.

“As it stands today, the motor show is still going ahead. Last year, less than one per cent of visitors came from outside Europe, but we are aware the coronavirus situation is changing by the hour.”

The Geneva Motor Show issued a statement on its website yesterday which said organisers had put in place a sanitary action plan which included increased cleaning and disinfection.

Staff were also being given training on personal preventative measures and new signs were being installed at the show to remind attendees about hygiene recommendations.

The statement said: “The current situation in Switzerland is rather reassuring – none of the samples tested so far has been positive for the novel coronavirus.”

The MWC started to look in doubt when big-name attendees including Ericsson, Sony, Nokia, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom pulled out.

In a statement to Bloomberg, following news of the MWC cancellation, John Hoffman, chief executive officer of organisers GSMA, said “the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances make it impossible” to hold the event.

Geneva motor show organisers said that so far no exhibitors had pulled out, but that the situation “could change at any time”.

“We advise visitors and exhibitors to monitor our website carefully for any updates on the show’s status,” she added.

A spokesperson for the World Health Organisation / Europe said it was down to national authorities to “make decisions about these types of issues based on their own assessed risks”.

The spokesperson added: “There is no evidence at present to suggest that there is a community spread outside China, so WHO is not currently requesting that large gatherings are cancelled.

“Similarly, companies and other organisations are at liberty to make their own decisions according to their specific circumstances and their assessment of the risk to business.

“WHO works closely with organisations that plan mass gatherings to provide advice, inform their risk assessment and support on any potential impact on health.”