C&C Insurance Brokers, the preferred business partner to The Road Haulage Association (RHA) for provision of insurance to RHA Members, are reminding drivers that new minimum eyesight rules were introduced earlier in 2013. Before you drive or ride a vehicle you must meet the new standards.
Good eyesight is crucial for driving and if you can’t
meet the standard in your driving test you will fail
and DVLA will revoke your licence.
The NHS advises you to have a sight test every
two years. However in some circumstances your
optician may advise you to have more regular
tests, for example if you have diabetes, are 40 or
over and have a family history of glaucoma or are
70 or over. Drivers are encouraged to have their
eyes tested every two years and must always
wear glasses or lenses if needed. You MUST tell
DVLA if you have a problem with your eyesight.
Group 1 – Cars and Motorcycles – Drivers must:
• Be able to read a car number plate (with the aid of glasses or corrective lenses if needed) from a distance of 20 metres.
• Have a visual acuity of at least Snellen6/12. This means that the driver can read, from 6 metres away, characters which a person with normal (or Snellen 6/6) vision can read from 12 metres away and
• Have a horizontal field of vision of at least 120 degrees. This means, when looking straight ahead and without turning your head or eyes, a driver must be able to see 60 degrees to both the left and right.
Group 2 – Buses and Lorries
• For these drivers, there will be a new less stringent visual acuity standard for the “weaker eye” when each eye is separately examined. This means a Group 2 driver must have a visual acuity of at least Snellen 6/7.5 (see above) in the better eye and of at least Snellen 6/60 in the other eye.
• If you need to wear glasses to reach this standard they must not have a corrective power greater than plus (+) 8 dioptres.
If you are in any doubt that you can meet the eyesight standards it is essential that you arrange an appointment with an optician
For the full information on eyesight standards and driving go to:
www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules and
www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving