What happens after your driving licence is revoked due to eyesight

JGB1955

Car_54 wrote: »

That link applies only in Northern Ireland - nothing to do with DVLA.

Fair enough - but this DOES cover DVLA ....
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visual-disorders-assessing-fitness-to-drive#minimum-eyesight-standards--all-drivers

JGB1955

The law requires that all licensed drivers to meet the following eyesight requirements (including drivers aided by prescribed glasses or contact lenses):

• in good daylight, able to read the registration mark fixed to a vehicle registered under current standards
  • at a distance of 20 metres with letters and numbers 79 mm high by 50 mm wide on a car registered since 1 September 2001 or
  • at a distance of 20.5 metres with letters and numbers 79 mm high by 57 mm wide on a car registered before 1 September 2001 and
• the visual acuity must be at least Snellen 6/12 with both eyes open or in the only eye if monocular

✘- Any driver unable to meet these standards must not drive and must notify the DVLA, which will refuse or revoke a licence.

DUTR

craigp94 wrote: »

If you fail to read the number plate your licence is revoked. I regularly attend the opticians which say my eye sight is good enough to drive. The trouble comes in certain lights and Number plates with MWPFGC for example. I passed the CBT eyesight test just last week.

To revoke something you must already have it.
If you fail to be able to read a registration at a set distance in certain lighting with a valid optical prescription, then do you even want to be driving?

Car_54

JGB1955 wrote: »

The law requires that all licensed drivers to meet the following eyesight requirements (including drivers aided by prescribed glasses or contact lenses):

• in good daylight, able to read the registration mark fixed to a vehicle registered under current standards
  • at a distance of 20 metres with letters and numbers 79 mm high by 50 mm wide on a car registered since 1 September 2001 or
  • at a distance of 20.5 metres with letters and numbers 79 mm high by 57 mm wide on a car registered before 1 September 2001 and
• the visual acuity must be at least Snellen 6/12 with both eyes open or in the only eye if monocular

✘- Any driver unable to meet these standards must not drive and must notify the DVLA, which will refuse or revoke a licence.

We (and the DVLA) won't know that the OP is UNABLE to meet the standards, only that he failed the test on the day, and in most cases that can be resolved with glasses or lenses.


Thousands of drivers fail the eyetest every year, without their licence being reviked. They simply go to the opticians and then try again.

craigp94

I passed the required distance every time, and can read over it to about 25m, so i am fit to drive. Like i said in certain lighting i struggle, but that being said its normally done at about 25m and only do 20.5m if you are unable to read the number plate as a final test.

Car_54

BTW the examiner should not carry out the eyesight test in bad light, i.e. "If the light is suitable for testing but nevertheless cannot be considered `good daylight’, the candidate may, if necessary, be asked to read a number plate at the measured distance. However, if they cannot do so, they should not be regarded as having failed, and the test should be terminated and the circumstances reported to booking section."

AdrianC

Car_54 wrote: »

We (and the DVLA) won't know that the OP is UNABLE to meet the standards, only that he failed the test on the day, and in most cases that can be resolved with glasses or lenses.

If he can't pass the test, then he's unable to meet the standard. Kinda by definition.

And if it can be resolved with glasses, why isn't he wearing them for the test?

craigp94

i do wear glasses all the time. I will highly likely pass the eye sight test. More just nerves, and curious of what if

DUTR

craigp94 wrote: »

i do wear glasses all the time. I will highly likely pass the eye sight test. More just nerves, and curious of what if

You may be competent in the eye sight test yet not yet competent in another part of the test.
What then?

spinybif_2

If you struggle in certain lighting conditions try Zeiss "Drivesafe" lenses. Dearer than generic reflection free lenses but they do make a significant difference.