How Your Optometrist Can Help When You Fail a DMV Vision Test
The importance of good vision to safe driving can’t be overstated. Did you know that up to 90% of the information you process to drive safely comes from your visual system? Whether it’s identifying potential hazards, reading signs, obeying signals, staying in your lane, or monitoring your car’s speed – good vision is essential to safe driving.
Why DMV Performs Vision Tests
That’s why the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) performs a basic vision test when you renew your driver’s license. The test – a basic test of reading letters and numbers from an eye chart — is given to assess whether you meet the visual acuity standards to drive safely and prevent harm to yourself and others.
Each state has specific visual standards that must be met to quality for a driver’s license. Most concentrate on visual acuity (how clearly you see) and your visual field (how wide your field of vision is when you focus on one central point in front of you).
For example, many states have a visual acuity requirement of 20/40 or better in one or both eyes, and a vision field of 110 degrees or better, which is a measure of your peripheral vision. (Note: Healthy eyes can typically see a visual field of 155 degrees or better). If these requirements aren’t met, you either won’t receive a driver’s license renewal or your license will be issued with driving restrictions.
Common Reasons for Failing the DMV Vision Test
Up to 12% of drivers fail their DMV vision test each year. Often, this is the result of visual changes due to aging but sometimes there are other factors.
Here are three common reasons drivers fail their vision test:
- Refractive Errors
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism can cause blurred vision that, if not corrected, can lower visual acuity. Refractive errors are typically correctable with contact lenses or prescription glasses.
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- Age-Related Vision Changes
As you age, your eyes can change dramatically. Your risk for sight-altering conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration increase significantly starting around age 50. Any of these conditions can impact your ability to see well enough to drive safely.
- Eye Diseases
Eye conditions including Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardt Disease, and Diabetic Retinopathy can impair your vision and cause blurred, central vision loss. This can impact your ability to drive safely, and may cause you to fail your DMV vision test.
Retinitis Pigmentosa is a genetic disorder that causes progressive peripheral vision loss and night blindness. This can make driving very challenging, and while nearly 40% of RP patients can meet driving standards, many are unaware of the severity of their visual limitations.
Stargardt Disease is also an inherited condition that leads to central vision loss and can affect a person’s ability to see details directly in front of them, in the middle of their visual field. This makes driving very difficult, since you need good central vision to read road signs and obey traffic signals correctly.
How Your Optometrist Can Help Address DMV Vision Test Failure
So, what should you do if you fail your vision test at the DMV? Your first call should be to our office to make an appointment with your optometrist.
With a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will assess your visual acuity, visual field, peripheral vision, and overall eye health. We can diagnose and identify the root causes of your vision loss or impairment, and help you take the next steps to address them.
For example, if you have a refractive error and your prescription has changed since your last eye exam, we can help you find new glasses or contact lenses in your correct prescription to restore visual acuity so you can be permitted to drive.
If you have an eye disease or condition, we will recommend next steps in treatment and offer advice on how to minimize its progression to protect your long-term vision. As an example, patients with diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy, but by closely monitoring your blood sugar and insulin levels to keep them in the healthy range, you can minimize the impact on your vision.
Provide Documentation of Visual Acuity to DMV
If your comprehensive eye exam reveals that you have a visual impairment that can be corrected to 20/40 or better with prescription lenses, and you obtain and consistently use those lenses, your optometrist will issue an official statement that you meet the necessary vision standards for driving in your state, which you can submit to DMV to have your license renewed.
If your driver’s license renewal date is coming up and you want to be proactive, make your appointment with us today, and we’ll double-check that your vision meets the standards for DMV requirements in your state. We will help make sure you are seeing your best so you can go out on the road with confidence and good vision to drive safely!
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