Driving Eyesight Rules
DrivingLessons4All provides Driving Lessons and Instructors in Merton, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, Wandsworth, Sutton, Croydon, and Hampshire.
When you hit the road, ensuring your eyesight meets the required standards is important for your safety and a legal obligation. Here’s what you need to know about driving eyesight rules to stay on the right side of the law.
Glasses and Contact Lenses
If you need glasses or contact lenses to meet the ‘standards of vision for driving,’ you must wear them every time you drive. This excludes common conditions like being short or long-sighted or color blindness. If you meet the eyesight standards, you don’t need to report surgeries to correct short-sightedness.
Reporting Eyesight Problems
Inform the DVLA if you experience any issues with your eyesight that affect both eyes or the remaining eye if you have only one. To determine if you need to notify the DVLA about your eyesight problem, check the A to Z list of medical conditions affecting driving.
Legal Consequences
Driving without meeting the vision standards for driving can lead to prosecution. It’s crucial to adhere to these standards to avoid legal troubles and, more importantly, to ensure the safety of yourself and others on the road.
Standards of Vision for Driving
To meet the minimum eyesight standard, you must be able to read a car number plate made after September 1, 2001, from a distance of 20 meters, using glasses or contact lenses if necessary. Your visual acuity should be at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) on the Snellen scale with both eyes or in the remaining eye if you have just one. Additionally, an adequate field of vision is required, and your optician can provide information and conduct the necessary tests.
We provide Driving Lessons Instructors in Merton, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, Wandsworth, Sutton, Croydon, and Hampshire.
Lorry and Bus Drivers
Specific standards apply to lorry and bus drivers. They must have a visual acuity of at least 0.8 (6/7.5) in their best eye and at least 0.1 (6/60) in the other eye. There are also requirements for the uninterrupted horizontal visual field. If you cannot meet these standards but hold your license before January 1, 1997, you may still be able to renew your license.
Practical Driving Test Eyesight Test
At the beginning of your practical driving test, you must correctly read a number plate on a parked vehicle. Failure to do so will result in a test failure, with the DVLA being notified and your license revoked. When reapplying for your driving license, the DVLA will ask you to undergo an eyesight test with the DVSA, typically held at a driving test center. Success in this test is a prerequisite for your next practical driving test.
Ensuring your eyesight meets the required standards is not just a legal obligation; it’s a fundamental aspect of responsible driving. Stay informed, get regular eye check-ups, and drive safely.
Contact Us
If you live in London or the surrounding areas and would like to book your driving lessons with Driving Lessons4All, email us at info@drivinglessons4all.co.uk, fill out the Booking Form or get in touch via online chat.