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Press Release

DVLA consultation on vision, epilepsy and diabetes

5 December 2011

Comment on the DVLA Consultation on Vision, Epilepsy and Diabetes December 2011

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists notes the proposed changes to the vision standards applied to drivers required by the European Directive of 2009(Annex III to Directive 91/439/EEC and 2006/126/EC) and welcomes the clarification afforded by recent documents (received 221 November 2011) from the DVLA which correct unfortunate errors in the initial consultation:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/consultations.aspx

In particular the College notes that the current number-plate test carried out at 20m will be used as an initial screening test, but that the definitive visual acuity standard will become decimal 0.5 (6/12). The College also notes that in exceptional circumstances where other visual functions are normal, the visual acuity standard may be lowered.

Several College members are committee members on the Secretary of State for Transport's honorary medical advisory panel for driving and visual disorders*, and the deliberations of this committee are in the public domain on the DVLA website:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/medical/medical_professionals.aspx



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Royal College of Ophthalmologists

Royal College of Ophthalmologists

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