Eyesight When Driving

If you need glasses or contact lenses, it is a compulsory requirement to wear these whenever you are behind the wheel. The DVLA must be informed if you suffer from any problem that may affect your vision, if it is affecting your whole field of vision (being that it affects either both eyes, or your remaining eye if you only have one functioning eye). Failure to provide this information could result in you being prosecuted.

The exceptions to this are if you are long-sighted or short-sighted, or if you suffer from colour blindness.

The rules for the Standards of Vision for Driving state that you must be able to read a car number plate from 20 metres away – with or without glasses or contact lenses. These rules do differ slightly for Lorry and Bus drivers.

Your eyesight will be tested at the start of your practical driving test. If you fail to meet the minimum required standard for your eyesight, you will fail the whole of your practical test. Your licence will be revoked, and you will have to take an eyesight test with the DSA at a driving test centre, as well as having to re-take the eyesight test at the start of your practical driving test the next time.

If you are worried about your eyesight, see your optician for an evaluation and any treatment that may be necessary.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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