Did you know…that you must wear glasses or contact lenses every time you drive by law, if you require them, in order to meet the driving standards of vision for driving?
If you do not meet the driving standards you could not only cause an accident by presenting a risk to yourself and other road users, but you could also be prosecuted and have your licence revoked.
So is your eyesight fit for driving?
- You must have a visual acuity of a least 0.8 decimal as measured on the Snellen Scale and sufficient field of vison. The Snellen scale is the main eye test used to measure your ability to see objects clearly, with or without contact lenses or glasses. 20/20 vision is what opticians consider normal vison and is used as the benchmark measurement.
- If you are over 70, you must declare to the DVLA that your sight meets the legal standard.
The safest way to check would be to have your eyes assessed by an optician at least once a year as your eyes can deteriorate over time, and they will be able to advise you if you meet the required standard. Your optician will be able to assess your night vison, eye sensitively, peripheral vision and all visual functions that could affect your driving. The optician may then prescribe eye correction contact lenses or glasses.
What the law says:
“(1) If a person drives a motor vehicle on a road while his eyesight is such (whether through a defect which cannot be or one which is not for the time being sufficiently corrected) that he cannot comply with any requirement as to eyesight prescribed for the purposes of tests of competence, he is guilty of an offence.
(2) A constable having reason to suspect that a person driving a motor vehicle may be guilty of an offence under (1), may require him to submit a test for the purpose of ascertaining whether , using no other means of correction than he used at the time of driving, he can comply with the requirement concerned.
(3) if that person refuses to submit to the test, he is guilty of an offence.”S.96 Road Traffic Act 1988 – driving with uncorrected eyesight
This offence carries three penalty points or a discretionary disqualification from driving. You would also be subject to a financial penalty of up to £1000 and if found guilty by a court, this will result in a criminal conviction.
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