Driving and Eyesight Requirements

If you require glasses in order to meet the requirements for driving legally, then you must ensure that you wear them whilst you drive (or corrective lenses).

There are some conditions that you need to let the DVLA know about when you apply for your driving licence - a condition that affects both eyes, other than short/longsightedness or colour blindness, or any visual condition that affects your sight.

When applying for a provisional licence you should declare if you've just had sight correction surgery.

The requirement that will be tested before the practical test commences is to read a number plate on a stationary vehicle. The distance requirement is 20.5 metres, with new style number plates it is 20m.

There is a procedure in place such that if you can't read the first number plate, you are asked to read a second number plate, and if you can't read that you can walk up to the appropriate distance away. You get a third chance and on this occasion the distance will be marked precisely by the examiner.

Related Articles...

driving theory test
What to do at a ford
This article is about driving through a ford, not about driving a Ford car. When you see a warning sign for a ford you should naturally slow down. Then look at the ford and assess the depth...

Hazard Perception
There has been a significant increase in the focus of hazard perception and hazard awareness in the last few years since the introduction by the DSA of a separate hazard perception element to the...

Your vehicle and driving
There is a lot to take in when you are learning to drive and when you are preparing for the driving theory test. Whilst a lot of it is common sense there is a considerable amount of information you...

What causes accidents: overtaking
When you overtake a vehicle, there are often many things to consider. First of all you need to ensure that it is, as far as you are aware, safe to do so. Therefore don't overtake close to...

What are greener fuels
One of the most well known of the green fuels is something that is called Biofuel. Biofuel is a group of different fuels rather than an individual fuel in itself, and the class contains things...

Working out what a road sign means
There are many signs that you will see day in day out as a driver and are obvious to understand. For instance signs that tell you the maximum speed limit on the road you're on. For some reason,...

Risk factors when driving: snow and ice
When the snow is falling, there is one big problem - it is hard to see far infront. So like fog, reduced visibility is the problem with snow. And when there is heavy snowfall it can be very hard...

Vehicle Test Certificate Explained
The MOT test is no doubt something you have heard of before, but you don't pay that much interest to what it actually is before you are a car driver and faced with the prospect of requiring such a...

Why is there a Hazard Perception Test
The statistics have long shown that the newer the driver, the more likely they are to be involved in accidents on the roads. This is probably because they are inexperienced as drivers, although...

What to do at level crossings
When you are learning to drive you may well not come across a level crossing, depending where you live. But as a driver you certainly will come across level crossings and will need to know how to...


Back to home page of driving theory test questions