Eyesight checks for drivers

• Who needs eyesight checks
• Why regular checks matter
• What eyesight checks involve
• About eyesight certificates

Who needs eyesight checks

Good vision is essential for road safety. If you can't see properly, you can't drive safely.

• Statistics show that one driver in 14 has a vision defect that may affect driving performance.
• It's not just older drivers who may have vision defects. Studies show that the highest numbers of people with bad eyesight are aged between 15 and 30 and between 71 and 80.
• Between the ages of 15 and 30, a large proportion of people experience some deterioration in their vision.

Why regular eyesight checks matter

The New Zealand Association of Optometrists recommends that all drivers have regular eye examinations.

A driver with a vision defect puts themselves and other drivers on our roads at risk. Just as your car needs regular checks to ensure it's working properly, your eyes need to be checked regularly to ensure that your vision meets the eyesight standards required of all drivers.

Your eyesight will be checked:

• when you apply for a driver licence
• when you apply for a new driver licence class or endorsement
• each time you renew your driver licence.

If you can produce a recent eyesight certificate, you won't need to have your eyesight checked by the driver licensing agent.

If the eyesight screening check picks up a problem, you'll need to present an eyesight certificate before your licence can be issued.

If you have sight in only one eye, or have only one eye (monocular vision) you must present an eyesight certificate from a doctor or optometrist.

What eyesight screening checks involve

An eyesight screening check takes around 90 seconds. A special eyesight machine will check:

1. how well you can see at a distance (visual acuity)
2. how well you can see to the sides (peripheral vision or field of vision).

Glasses and contact lenses: You may wear glasses or contact lenses at your eyesight screening check, but if you do, your licence will show that you need them to drive. This is known as a 'licence condition'.

If you're caught driving by the Police without your glasses or contact lenses, and you are required to wear them, you could be fined $400.

About eyesight certificates

If you are presenting an eyesight certificate, it must:

• be issued by a New Zealand-registered medical practitioner or a New Zealand-registered optometrist
• show you have met the required eyesight standard to be able to drive safely
• be the original certificate, not a copy
• be less than 60 days old.

If you have chosen to do an eyesight screening check, and this has picked up a possible problem, you'll need to present a recent eyesight certificate to your driver licensing agent before you can get your licence.

Most drivers will reach the required eyesight standard without difficulty. If you think your eyesight may not be adequate, you should visit your doctor or optometrist and get it checked out now. Don't wait until you apply for or renew your licence.

Last updated: 14 August 2007