Driving and Vision

As there are more of us on the road, it is essential for everyone that we can see clearly to be able to drive safely. Regular eye examinations will ensure that your visual acuity continues to meet the DVLA's legal standards for driving.

Conditions that may affect your visual field and driving include;

• Strokes and brain tumours,
• Eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma (if you have them in both eyes).

If your optometrist tells you that you must not drive, you must stop all driving immediately.

Driving when you are medically unfit to do so is a criminal offence, and you could face a fine of up to £1000. You may be prosecuted if you are involved in an accident.

DVLA and DVA Driving Eyesight Rules

If you drive a car you must:

• be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate in the format introduced after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres;
• have a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) using both eyes together or, if you have sight in one eye only, in that eye. Your optometrist will be able to tell you if you meet this standard; and
• have an adequate field of vision. If your optometrist detects a reduced visual field they will tell you to inform the DVLA. The DVLA will then arrange for you to have this assessed, using both of your eyes together, to make sure you are legal to drive.

If you drive a bus or a lorry you must:

• have a visual acuity at least 0.8 (6/7.5) measured on the Snellen scale in your best eye and at least 0.1 (6/60) on the Snellen scale in the other eye. You must be able to reach this standard using glasses with a corrective power not more than (+) 8 dioptres, or with contact lenses. There’s no limit for the corrective power of contact lenses; and
• have a horizontal visual field of at least 160 degrees, extending to at least 70 degrees left and right and 30 degrees up and down. No defects should be present within a radius of the central 30 degrees.

You must tell the DVLA (DVA in Northern Ireland) if:

• you can no longer meet the vision requirements for driving;
• a condition or disability has got worse since you got your licence; or
• you have certain medical conditions, even if you can still meet the vision requirements for driving.

Full details are available on gov.uk’s https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules and NI Direct’s https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/driving-eyesight-requirements

Driving Glasses

If your Optometrist has told you to wear glasses for driving, you must wear them, even for short trips. It is a good idea to keep a spare pair in the car, particularly if you are planning a long journey or if you drive for a living.

If you wear contact lenses, we recommend that you keep a pair of glasses in the car in case you need to take your lenses out. Even if you don't need to wear glasses all the time, you will probably find they are particularly helpful when the lighting is poor, and for driving at night.

Glare

The headlights of oncoming traffic can be dazzling when you are driving at night or in poor weather conditions. We supply Zeiss DriveSafe lenses which are designed for this very purpose. Luminance Design® Technology by ZEISS takes into account the pupil size in low-light conditions, ZEISS DuraVision DriveSafe Coating reduces perceived glare. ZEISS DriveSafe Lens Design incorporates an up to 43% larger mid-distance zone for easier focus switching between the dashboard and mirrors. And up to 14% larger far-distance vision zone for a wider view of the road.

Daytime Glare

Sunshine can be dazzling too, particularly in winter when the sun is low in the sky. If you wear glasses, you may find it helpful to have a pair of prescription sunglasses in the car, or to wear clip-on sunglasses over your prescription glasses. (For example our Mint Magnetic Range).

We recommend polarised sunglass lenses for any drivers as they help to cut out reflected light and are much more effective in reducing glare when compared with simple tinted sunglasses. Polarised lenses are available in a wide range of prescriptions and colours.

Zeiss have produced a very effective video which helps to illustrate the benefits of polarised lenses: