Nowadays, sunglasses are major fashion accessories that women should have. Sunglasses are said to add an instant glamor to anyone who wears them.

However, the Daily Mail is reporting that about twelve million fashion-conscious women drivers are risking their lives by wearing sunglasses which limit their view of the road.

The vast majority of Britain’s 14.4million female motorists admit to putting style before safety, research shows.

The Eyecare Trust charity also advised women to make safety their first priority with sunglasses for driving.

More than eight out of ten women (82 per cent) surveyed failed to consider safety when choosing sunglasses for driving - equivalent to 11.8million female motorists.

One in ten - 1.3million - drive in wide-armed glasses that severely restrict their peripheral vision. A further 7 per cent wear lenses that are so dark they are illegal for driving.

The researchers commissioned by insurer Sheilas’ Wheels also found that fewer than one in five (18 per cent) of women bought sunglasses specifically for driving while almost two-thirds (61 per cent) based their choice on appearance rather than practicality.

More than half (57 per cent) want better labelling and more information in shops on which are the best styles for motorists to buy.

According to the report, too many women drivers are unaware of the dangers of wide arms and dark lens tints may be the must-haves of the moment, but fashion- conscious women should put safety ahead of style when in control of a car.

The Eyecare Trust examined five styles of fashionable sunglasses and found that only two were suitable for driving. It revealed that the darkest shades fail to allow a minimum proscribed eight per cent of visible light through and are illegal. Pink tinted lenses can make it difficult to read road signs or spot hazards by distorting colors an dwide-armed glasses create blind spots. Aviator style glasses that curve around the eyes and have slim arms are recommended, along with anti-reflective lenses coloured in neutral brown or gray shades.

Chunky frames could pose a hazard when driving. Motorists need good all-round vision and a visual range of at least 120 degrees. The lens color, frame density, filter category and reflective coatings can all play a part in determining whether your sunglasses are roadworthy or not.”

The boom in convertible car sales is putting women at greater risk of skin cancer.

Cancer Research UK has joined forces with Evecars.com, the website of Eve magazine, to urge drivers of convertibles to protect themselves and their passengers with suncream, a hat and sunglasses.

Latest figures show a 43 per cent rise in the most serious form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, in the last decade. Sales of convertibles in the UK have trebled in that time - an increasing percentage bought by women - from 30,486 in 1996 to 100,626 in 2006. In Europe, only Germany sells more convertibles than Britain.

(Source: www.dailymail.co.uk)