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Licence revoked on visual acuity, getting licence back question

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
4

40djbrooks

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I am type 2 and have had laser and injections in both eyes so I had to inform the DVLA, I went to specsavers at their request and my licence was then revoked because I failed the visual acuity test. I decided to go to an independent optician who tested my eyes and said with glasses I am safe to drive. The optician wrote a letter for me to say I am safe to drive and also shows my prescription.

Has anyone here been successful in getting their licence back after doing what I have done? I sent all the evidence back to the DVLA.
 
Im not sure this is going to be much use, but I have it in the back of my mind that the DVLA had a problem a while ago with some of the equipment that its approved opticians were using, including the visual field test, and that some drivers had failed it who ought not to have done. I'm sorry I can't remember where I read it, but maybe a Google might throw something up.
 
Visual field test was ok, it was that I had trouble reading 6/12 or 20 metres I got prescription and the optician wrote a letter for me to send to dvla
 
If the optician is not approved by the DVLA, I doubt it will make much difference to the decision. They may refer you back to Specsavers. If you really do have difficulty reading 6/12, then you aren't fit to drive, it's as simple as that. Don't drive with a revoked licence, whatever you do, because you will be driving without insurance.
 
My licence was revoked on both low visual accuity and failing the fields test. I had to go to a DVLA approved optician a few months after treatment had finished to try and get my licence back - the DVLA sent me a list of opticians I could make an appointment with- this was about 20 years back so I don't know if things have changed significantly. In my case I was unsuccessful in getting my licence back due to deteriorating sight. I wish you well, it is a very worrying situation to be in and hope you get some good news soon.
 
Flower said:
My licence was revoked on both low visual accuity and failing the fields test. I had to go to a DVLA approved optician a few months after treatment had finished to try and get my licence back - the DVLA sent me a list of opticians I could make an appointment with- this was about 20 years back so I don't know if things have changed significantly. In my case I was unsuccessful in getting my licence back due to deteriorating sight. I wish you well, it is a very worrying situation to be in and hope you get some good news soon.
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Well said Flower 🙂 I wish you well too.
 
What is your visual acuity with the new glasses? If it is 6/12 or better then you meet the legal requirement but would still need to get DVLA to reinstate your licence. I don't mean to probe but why did you not have suitable distance glasses when you went for your DVLA test at Specsavers?
 
My new optician tested me for the right pair of glasses which she said will help me to drive again.
 
OK I think you've learnt the hard way that it is always important to have your glasses up-to-date especially when you are driving.
 
I only got my last ones 3 months ago and I still failed the specsavers test, so to be sure I went to another optician to see if I needed stronger glasses.
 
40djbrooks said:
I only got my last ones 3 months ago and I still failed the specsavers test, so to be sure I went to another optician to see if I needed stronger glasses.
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So the question is why such a change in your lens requirements within 3 months? This is normally due to an underlying eye condition or badly controlled diabetes.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
So the question is why such a change in your lens requirements within 3 months? This is normally due to an underlying eye condition or badly controlled diabetes.
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You're right there. My VA changed quite rapidly, due to cataracts, but surely that or any other eye condition would have been noticed by the optician?
 
mikeyB said:
You're right there. My VA changed quite rapidly, due to cataracts, but surely that or any other eye condition would have been noticed by the optician?
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I would have thought so to, so that leaves me to wonder how well OP is controlling his blood sugars.
 
I have diabetic retiniopathy with macular oedema which has been treated I should have mentioned it in my post.
 
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