Constantly having to swap your glasses or remember to bring along a pair for driving? Do away with the hassle, as Auto Windscreens, innovators in automotive glazing, has successfully launched its first prescription windscreen.

The ingenious creation has been the result of pioneering research and development from the company’s state-of-the-art factory, based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

Researching the curvature of corrective spectacles for myopia (short sightedness) led Auto Windscreens to successfully develop a windscreen which can be curved to match an individual’s ophthalmic prescription. The resulting prescription windscreen will ensure that UK drivers will never have to be frustrated with finding their glasses or, more importantly, risk driving illegally without them.

This will bring welcome news to drivers who, according to a poll of British adults by YouGov*, over half surveyed needed glasses or contact lenses to drive. A fifth of those drivers who require glasses or contact lenses to drive, confessed they had driven without them, whilst 1 in 3 of all adults didn’t realise it was against the law not to wear your glasses or lenses whilst driving.

Read the board carefully and then follow further instructions below

Having been successfully tested by the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship driver Tom Chilton, the young glasses wearer has fitted his car with the prescription windscreen for the new 2010 racing season, due to start on the 4th April.

Nigel Davies, Auto Windscreens Sales and Marketing Director said: “We’re delighted with this breakthrough development. Auto Windscreens is at the forefront of innovation in the automotive glazing marketplace and this latest development – the prescription windscreen – is one of our best. The benefits to drivers are numerous.

Not only will cars fitted with the new prescription windscreen help keep glasses wearers safe and legal on our roads but it could potentially lead to a reduction in vehicle theft. We anticipate the prescription windscreen will be a success and we’re currently researching and developing a bi-focal windscreen.”

Every car fitted with the Auto Windscreens’ prescription windscreen comes with a car kit of special cleaner and oversized cleaning cloth.

For more information about the new prescription windscreen take a look at the product demonstration video on SkiddPlayer (click the image below):

Watch the video on SkiddPlayer. Note: please wear prescription glasses if needed when viewing the video on a standard PC or Mac monitor.