Can You Get A Driver's License If You Are Blind In One Eye?

If the functioning eye has sufficient vision to meet the legal requirements established by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, a driver can be allowed to drive with one eye. The prospective driver also has to be well accustomed to the sight loss in one eye to be entitled to obtain a driving license after a vision test.

After a driving evaluation and eye exam, a driver can still get a driving privilege if they’re legally blind in one eye but will not get an unrestricted driver’s license. However, they must ensure that they do not have any medical condition or eye disease in the seeing eye.

Monocular vision as a disability

Before applying for or receiving documentation of disability, a person with vision in one eye must consider several different variables.

Different medical institutions and organizations take different positions on this matter. People have made the following conclusions about eyesight in one eye over time and in various climes:

• The degree of disability is evaluated as 30% if the affected eye is completely blind or has little to no vision and if the other eye is perfectly normal.
• A one-eyed vision-intended driver is deemed handicapped in cases when their visual impairment is greater than 40%.
• Legally, having lost vision in one eye disqualifies a motorist from being considered disabled. The better of a potential driver’s two eyes serve as the standard for legal blindness. For instance, a one-eyed person is legally recognized as blind only if one eye is blind and the other is impaired.

Vision Test for Intending one-eyed drivers

The main elements of vision necessary for safe driving are visual acuity, the peripheral field of vision, and freedom from double vision (diplopia).

Minimum vision requirements for aspiring one-eyed drivers are that they have a minimum horizontal visual field of 120 degrees and the ability to read a car number plate from a minimum distance of 20.5 meters (67 feet). Before a driver’s license may be issued, the following requirements of visual acuity for any prospective one-eyed driver must be met, whether or not they wear glasses or contact lenses:

Drivers of motor vehicles with only one eye should be able to read the registration mark affixed to a vehicle registered following current rules in bright daylight. This means the eye with good vision should have normal vision.

Obtaining a class D or junior driver’s license with one-eye vision

Drivers with only one eye are ineligible for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Still, they may be eligible for a class D or junior driver’s license if they pass the state vision screening exam.

The candidate for one eye must have 20/40 visual acuity in the eye without visual impairment, with or without the use of RX or bioptic telescopes.

The intended driver is required to have a minimum horizontal visual field of 120 degrees for objects positioned between 20 and 20.5 meters away from the driver.

These data were collected using a form created by a vision rehabilitation therapist, on which the information below was gathered and verified by an eye specialist:

If they must wear corrective lenses, the motorist must declare it.

If telescopic lenses are required for driving, the intending monocular driver must indicate that fact. If so, the bioptic telescopic lenses’ specifications, such as their monocular, fixed focus, and magnifying power, must also be specified.

The licensed vision specialist also looks for persistent double vision or diplopia. A one-eyed disabled driver provided all this information on a signed paper or during an interview.

Specific medical and physical requirements, certificates, driving tests, driving ability, and endorsements are needed for bus driving and commercial licenses. Interstate driving can differ from state to state.

Monocular vision and how it affects the field of view while driving

A driver can meet the standard necessary angle of view with monocular vision, but the driver must constantly bend their head to look outside of this angle.

This most frequently occurs when the eye with monocular vision loss is not positioned such that it may be used in the rear vision mirror. Using the rear vision mirror on the left and right side outside the field of vision will be difficult, if not impossible, for a driver with monocular vision in their left eye.

Monocular Vision and Eligibility for Night Driving

Most licenses given to intending one-eyed drivers have a "daylight only" limitation. This is because monocular vision can cause poor night vision conditions due to the contrast between the dark and brilliant lighting and incoming vehicle spotlights and blind spots in one eye.

The seeing eye may be more sensitive to light due to therapy received as a child, which can be especially true for bilateral retinoblastoma survivors who drive. Think about requesting some night driving glasses with unique tinted corrective lenses to lessen glare and aid depth perception. Prescription lenses can also have this coating put to them.

A minimum of six months should be given to allow a person who has lost one eye’s vision or who has low vision due to an accident to adjust.

To conduct the vision exam, bring a valid certificate from any hospital where the initial therapy was provided (this certificate will be considered one of the references).

The monocular vision that occurs after obtaining a driver’s license?

If a driver lost an eye after passing the exam and did not notify the DVSA’s medical section, such a driver will be driving while in violation. Driving against the license terms results in a fine for not having a license and insurance.

Initially, the motor vehicle driver will have more trouble estimating range and determining distances. Calculating the closing rate due to the effects of monocular vision on depth perception and peripheral vision may initially affect the ability to drive safely. Still, the human mind can undoubtedly acclimatize, adjust, and make up for driving with one eye, even without the best corrected visual acuity.