Fear of losing licence after specsaver visit

[40djbrooks]

I am type 2 and recently had laser and anti veg f treatment for both of my eyes i have macular oedema,

I recently went to specsavers for a dvla test and I am now fearing that the DVLA will revoke my licence. Has anyone here lost their licence with this condition. I think my field test was ok but i think I have failed the eye chart test. How long did it take to get a letter from the DVLA.?

 

[himtoo]

hi there
if you are having anti veg f treatment you will be be seen at clinic.
what has the consultant said regarding driving ?

i have not so brilliant sight in my left eye due to an oedema but my right eye is still better than 20/20
and my field test is 100%

you might want to check out this www.noctura.com
i am wearing this mask and it has improved background sight.

 

[40djbrooks]

My consultant said I can still drive, but dvla might take a different view

Yes I saw this mask

 

[bombardier]

I have DVLA tests every three years as I suffer with double vision. So far I have had two test, the first at Boots the second at Specsavers as directed by the DVLA. They took 4 weeks after the first test rvrn though the tester said my results were excellent but the second one only took about 10 days to get my licence. As I am over 70 i have to have new licence every three years. Even though I have my double vision tested every year by hospital consultants I still have to have the DVLA one because they say hospital consultant test are not sufficient.

 

[40djbrooks]

So I assume DVLA will now contact my consultant before making any decisions as this is the first time I had this test. My consultant said I can drive but had to let DVLA know which I did by the book. How long did it take to get a letter from them first time?

 

[Victoria27]

Hi, I have lost some peripheral vision due to laser treatments on my eyes twenty years ago. I go every three years for field of vision tests and up to three years ago have sailed through,my normal vision is v good. I failed it last time. I was told the DVLA had moved the goal posts and they revoked my license. I was devastated. I appealed going privately to another optician and I got my license back. I have just had to go again, to specsavers this time. I don't know how I got on they don't tell you but I think it is quite unfair that we have to go through all this stress every three years. Yes I have lost some outer vision but who drives looking straight ahead all the time. I have better vision than a lot of people I know who don't have all this to go through. Anyone else agree ?

 

[40djbrooks]

Had a letter today saying my license has been revoked because i cannot read a number plate of 20 meters even with my glasses, so now I have to go and see if I can improve it, before reapplying

 

[MikePea]

The basic test is 'can you read a vehicle number plate at 20 metres'. (Those plates made after September 1st 2001)
There are other tests for different medical conditions.
You could be prosecuted if you drive when not able to read the plate.
If you can't read the plate at 20 metres you are not allowed to drive.

 

[40djbrooks]

they wrote back pretty quick Mike. So now I will see my optician next week to see what he can do, if he can correct my vision with stronger specs then I will re-apply. I had several anti vegf and two laser treatment .

 

[CarbsRok]

Had a letter today saying my license has been revoked because i cannot read a number plate of 20 meters even with my glasses, so now I have to go and see if I can improve it, before reapplying

There are rules and regulations regarding the eyesight prescription the topmost limit is 6/12 correction if any more than that it's no licence.

 

[tonymajor68]

I'm very recently diagnosed type 2. I had an eye test at specsavers in my local town, was told everything was good. kept getting headaches few weeks later so visited same store different town. was advised 1 eye short sighted other eye long sighted and had been for quite a while they believe. told them where I'd been before and they almost laughed, no confidence in other branches at all.

 

[40djbrooks]

Well I managed to get an independent eye examination and the optician told me that I am safe to drive with glasses and she has written a letter to send with re-application,

 

[Red shaw]

There are rules and regulations regarding the eyesight prescription the topmost limit is 6/12 correction if any more than that it's no licence.

I don't understand what 6/12 means. Is this a measure of shortsightedness or longsightedness that we don't use in the UK, or is it the measure of field of vision? I believe if your prescription corrects your long/shortsightedness you can drive. I am very shortsighted but I am allowed to drive.

I've just looked up 6/12 vision and that's a load of rubbish. I can't see anything from 12 metres or 6 metres without my glasses, but with them I can. Basically you need to keep your glasses prescription up to date.

 

[CarbsRok]

I don't understand what 6/12 means. Is this a measure of shortsightedness or longsightedness that we don't use in the UK, or is it the measure of field of vision? I believe if your prescription corrects your long/shortsightedness you can drive. I am very shortsighted but I am allowed to drive.

I've just looked up 6/12 vision and that's a load of rubbish. I can't see anything from 12 metres or 6 metres without my glasses, but with them I can. Basically you need to keep your glasses prescription up to date.

If you bothered to look on the DVLA site regarding eye sight you will see the regulations posted. If your lenses can not be prescribed for you to see at 6/12 you are not allowed to drive end of story. You also need to be able to read a number plate at a certain distance.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

 

[Red shaw]

That's not how you put it originally.
"the eyesight prescription the topmost limit is 6/12 correction if any more than that it's no licence." implies that the prescription correction should not be more than 6/12. What you meant was you could have a discrepancy on your prescription of up to 6/12.

My optician never uses the terms 6/12 12/12 or anything like that. I just know my prescription, and that I can see the bottom line of the chart and a number plate at the required distance. I know a lot of people wouldn't know, as they never visit an optician.

Thanks for the link. Apparently I am borderline on the bus driver license. Lucky that doesn't apply to car drivers.

 

[Dark Horse]

That's not how you put it originally.
"the eyesight prescription the topmost limit is 6/12 correction if any more than that it's no licence." implies that the prescription correction should not be more than 6/12. What you meant was you could have a discrepancy on your prescription of up to 6/12.

My optician never uses the terms 6/12 12/12 or anything like that. I just know my prescription, and that I can see the bottom line of the chart and a number plate at the required distance. I know a lot of people wouldn't know, as they never visit an optician.

Thanks for the link. Apparently I am borderline on the bus driver license. Lucky that doesn't apply to car drivers.

A visual acuity of 6/12 means that someone can see at 6 metres what a "normal" person can see at 12 metres. Normal vision is therefore 6/6 (or in the USA, where they use feet rather than metres, it would be 20/20). Visual acuities can be recorded "with correction" (i.e. with glasses or contact lenses) or "without correction" (i.e. with the naked eye). What @CarbsRok was saying was that for driving a car, the visual acuity should be at least 6/12 with correction.

 

[nomoredonuts]

A quick read of the gov.uk pages has left me confused. The paragraph that says "
You must tell DVLA if you’ve got any problem with your eyesight that affects both of your eyes, or the remaining eye if you only have one eye" is clear enough. I have double-vision due probably to a CN3 problem, but can see perfectly well to drive with the affected eye covered. (I covered 500 miles in the last fortnight in 3 different cars in two countries!). So I don't need to inform them.
Elsewhere on the site lists Diplopia (double-vision) as one of the eye conditions that need the DVLA to be notified. I wonder if another visit to Specsavers is wise to ask the optometrist to write a letter confirming my visual acuity in the good eye. Then carry it as a sort of proof if needed?