Patients
- You must also meet the minimum eyesight standard for driving by having a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary.
- Eye charts can be configured in various ways, but generally, if during an eye test you can read the big E at the top but none of the letters lower than that, your vision is considered 20/200. That means you can read at 20 feet a letter that people with 'normal' vision can read at 200 feet.
Searching for a free eye chart to check your vision at home?
Simply click on the image to the right, and your download will begin. You can use this eye chart to check your entire family's vision.
Remember: This is not a substitute for a complete medical eye exam by a licensed optometrist. But it could help you identify potential vision problems that demand professional attention.
Minimum Visual Acuity Standards Chart Binocular Vision (Vision in Both Eyes) Unrestricted Driving Daylight Driving Unrestricted Driving Daylight Driving No Driving Privileges Right Eye, Left Eye, Both Worse than 20/40, both eyes together Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles 1. During a routine eye exam, the first thing an optician/eye doctor does is test the vision of the patient using this chart. First developed by Hermann Snellen, a Dutch ophthalmologist, the aforementioned chart sets a standard for what a person with a normal vision can see from twenty feet away. The chart below may approximate the power appropriate for over-the-counter reading glasses: Age 40-45: +1.00 or +1.25. Age 45-50: +1.50 or +1.75. Age 50-55: +2.00 or +2.25. Age 55 and up: +2.50. What is a cataract? A cataract is a yellowing and clouding of the lens in the eye due to aging, sun exposure, or sometimes medications and toxins in.
Need the JPEG version? Click here.
How to Use the Eye Chart
![Test Test](/uploads/1/3/4/7/134717229/120520895.jpg)
- Print the free eye chart on regular 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper
- Tack or tape the chart to a windowless wall in a well-lit room at eye level
- Measure ten feet from the wall
- Cover one eye (if you wear glasses for distance vision, keep them on)
- Have another person point to each line as you read the letters out loud and keep track of which letters you get right
- Continue to the bottom row or until you can no longer read the letters
- Write down the number of the smallest line where you identified the majority of letters correctly (Ex. If you were able to read 5 out of 8 letters on line 8, you would write 20/20.)
- Cover the other eye and repeat steps 5-7
What Do the Results Mean?
That depends on the age of the person being tested. A 3- to 4-year-old should be able to read the 20/40 line, and a 5-year-old the 20/30 line. Older children and adults should be able to read the majority of letters on the 20/20 line.
If you notice any results that fall outside these standards, be sure to schedule an eye exam with your Vision Source doctor.
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In good daylight, you must be able to read a vehicle number plate from a distance of 20 metres (or from a distance of 20.5 metres for old style number plates).
If you want to do your own number plate test, when walking down a street or in a car park, 20 metres is about 5 car lengths.
You must also have an adequate field of vision and a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) on the Snellen scale (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary), using both eyes together or, one eye only if the driver only has sight in one eye.
If you need glasses or contact lenses to drive, you must wear them at all times when driving (see Rule 92 of the Highway Code). It is an offence not to do so, and may invalidate your motor insurance. It is a good idea to keep a spare set of glasses in the glove compartment.
Eyesight Tests
The best way to make sure that you meet the minimum eyesight standard for driving is to have an eyesight test at an opticians every two years, or more often if the optician advises.
You are entitled to a free eye test if you are 60 years or over, or have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma or have been advised by an ophthalmologist that you are at risk of glaucoma. If you are 40 years or over, and have a mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter who has been diagnosed with glaucoma, you are also entitled to a free NHS sight test. You can also receive free eye tests if you receive certain social security benefits.
Any condition that affects both eyes (or the remaining eye if you only have one eye), except long and short sightedness and colour blindness, should be reported to the DVLA (or the DVA in Northern Ireland). This does not necessarily mean you would lose your licence – an assessment of your eyesight will be made.
Ohio Driving Eye Test Chart
Eyesight can deteriorate gradually over time, and it can be difficult to realise it has fallen below the minimum standard. For instance, as we grow older our eyes become less able to react quickly to changes in light and we start to have difficulty with colours and contrasts in poor light. Between the ages of 15 and 65 years the time it takes to recover from glare increases from 2 to 9 seconds. This could be one reason why some people find driving at night more difficult.
This video from the Older Drivers' Forum gives helpful advice on driving at night.
Police Roadside Eyesight Tests
The Police can, and do, require drivers who they have stopped to take an on-the-spot roadside eyesight test to prove that they can read a number plate from 20 metres if they are concerned about their eyesight. If a driver is not able to pass this test, they are advised that getting back behind the wheel would be an offence because they have failed to meet the legal eyesight standard.
The officers can immediately email a request to the DVLA to have the driver’s licence revoked and the DVLA can issue a formal revocation notice which could be delivered to the offending driver on the same day. This is known as “Cassie’s Law” in memory of a young woman who was killed by a driver who had failed a roadside eye test but continued to drive while the Police were trying to get his licence revoked.
Common eyesight conditions that can affect drivers
Cataracts
The eye lens becomes cloudy, leads to blurred vision and sensitivity to glare.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Caused by diabetes, results in patches of vision loss and thereby lacks sharpness across the visual field. It becomes difficult to read and drive.
Glaucoma
Driving Eye Test Chart
Loss of peripheral vision. Retinitis Pigmentosa also causes tunnel vision, resulting in side vision loss.
Macular Degeneration
A common eye condition in which central vision deteriorates.
Blindness
The loss of all useful vision, although shades of light and dark may still be visible.
Dmv Eye Exam Sample
Further Information
Driving Eye Test Chart
Macular Society
PO Box 1870,
Andover SP10 9AD
Helpline 0300 30 30 111
[email protected]
Online Contact Form
PO Box 1870,
Andover SP10 9AD
Helpline 0300 30 30 111
[email protected]
Online Contact Form