VISUAL TESTING FOR DRIVER LICENSING - U. S. PRACTICE

THE HISTORY IS BRIEFLY REVIEWED OF VISUAL ACUITY TESTS FOR DRIVER LICENSING. AT THIS TIME, ALL STATES REQUIRE A MINIMUM VISUAL ACUITY IN ADDITION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF LAWS, SIGNS, AND PROFICIENCY AT DRIVING FOR OBTAINING THE FIRST DRIVER'S LICENSE. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO UNIFORMITY OF THE VISUAL ACUITY REQUIRED BY EACH STATE. RECOGNIZING THAT THE REFRACTIVE STATUS OF THE EYE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING WITH TIME (AGE), SOME DRIVER LICENSING AUTHORITIES REQUIREMENTS, DRIVER-TESTING PERSONNEL RECOMMEND A VISUAL EXAMINATION BY THE DRIVER'S OWN EYE DOCTOR. THE APPLICANT THEN MAY RETURN AND RETAKE THE VISION TEST. THE JUDGEMEN OF VISUAL DEPTH IS REQUIRED IN ONLY 25 STATES. FORTY-FOUR STATES TEST COLOR VISION, BUT DO NOT DISQUALIFY APPLICANTS IF THEY FAIL IT. VISUAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DRIVER LICENSING MUST CONSIDER THE TOTAL PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED EXCLUSIVELY UPON SPECIFIC NON- DRIVING PERFORMANCE TASKS WHERE ALL OF THE PARAMETERS OF THE SITUATION ARE DEFINED AND ARE CONSTANT. INDICATIONS SEEM TO POINT AN INTERPROFESSIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE EVALUATION OF THE VISUAL CAPABILITY OF THE DRIVER WHO CANNOT MEET MINIMUM VISION SCREENING STANDARDS FOR LICENSURE WHICH HAVE BEEN OR WILL BE ESTABLISHED. ACCOMPANYING THIS EVALUATION MUST BE THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE APPLICANT BEHIND THE WHEEL UNDER A REPRESENTATIVE NUMBER OF DRIVING ENVIRONMENTS WHICH HE MIGHT ENCOUNTER. PERFORMANCE IS THE REAL MEASURE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • pp 77-93, 10 FIG, 22 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Itte, University of California, Berkeley

  Proceedings, 2nd Annual Symposium
  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • Connolly, P L
• Publication Date: 1969-12

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Color vision; Driver licensing; Driver performance; Drivers; Driving tests; Personnel performance; Testing; Vision; Visual perception
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220860
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 1 1970 12:00AM