News
Check out your own health as well as your Car's in new Moto Initiative
05 April 2006
Britain’s biggest motorway service area chain has teamed up with professionals in the fields of tyre safety, eye sight and health problems caused by being overweight to stage the free “Car and Driver Health Checks” at its 10 busiest sites during the peak summer period.
Customers can have their tyres checked for tread depth, damage, uneven wear and incorrect pressures by experts from Kwik-Fit Mobile; find out whether their eye-sight meets driving requirements with a free simple sight check by Vision Express specialists and have their blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) measured by the Moto Nurse. Other experts will advise on the dangers of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, a little-known condition that affects 4-5% of men and 1% of women aged 30-60 and increases their accident risk by causing excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue.
Moto’s Managing Director Brian Lotts said: “Road safety is very important to us – it was the reason motorway service areas were originally established and so is at the core of everything we do.
“We believe the Car and Driver Health Checks are an excellent way of alerting drivers to the need to take care of their own health in exactly the same way they would look after their car’s fitness to be on the road and we’re delighted to be working with such well-known high street names to bring this service to our customers.”
Moto Nurse, Jane Deville-Almond said: “Most people don't realise that having a spare tyre around their waist is a real health hazard and can lead to a whole host of problems including high blood pressure, type two diabetes and heart disease.
“These conditions are often known as the silent killers for obvious reasons. Trained nurses will be on hand to help people recognise the warning signs and offer health checks that will include waist measurements, weight, calculation of body mass index, blood pressures and blood sugar testing. They will also give advice which will hopefully help drivers on the road to a healthier future”.
A Kwik-Fit Mobile spokesman said: “Tyres are often neglected but are the only contact a driver has with the roads. They significantly affect a driver’s ability to brake, steer and control the vehicle. These events will help promote peace of mind for many drivers, especially on a long road journey”
Karen Sparrow, Senior Optometrist at Vision Express said “At a time when the European Commission are investigating driving standards across the European Union research already suggests as many as 2.5 million motorists in the UK could be putting themselves and others at risk by ignoring their eyesight.
“To help raise awareness of the importance of having a regular eye examinations Vision Express will be on hand at each roadshow with a Vision Screener, which provides a basic assessment of vision. We will also use a number of other interactive exercises, including a check of ability to read a number plate, as required as part of the driving test”.
Moto’s Brian Lotts added: “We have carefully chosen the dates and locations for the Car and Driver Health Checks to present the opportunity to the maximum number of our customers at times when they are likely to be travelling with their families.”
Dates and locations for the Moto Car and Drivers Health Checks are: 8/9 April, Moto Toddington (J12 M1); 29/30 April, Moto Cherwell Valley (J10 M40); 15/16 July, Moto Reading (J11-12 M4); 22/23 July, Moto Exeter (J30 M5); 5/6 August, Moto Tamworth (J10 M42); 12/13 August, Moto Woolley Edge (J38/39 M1); 19/20 August, Moto Lancaster (J32-33 M6); 26/27 August, Moto Donington Park (J23a M1) and 2/3 September, Moto Knutsford (J19 M6).
