EVALUATION OF THE FEDERAL VISION STANDARD FOR COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATORS

A reassessment was made of the adequacy of the current federal interstate vision standards for commercial motor vehicle operators. The technical approach included a critical review of existing literature, development of draft recommendations, delphi-approach surveys, a workshop to review draft recommendations with expert truck industry and vision panelists, and a report with final recommendations. No compelling evidence was found in the research literature on the vision performance of passenger and commercial drivers to warrant substantial change to the current standard. However, a number of problems in the current standard were identified during the literature review and at the workshop. The requirements for distant visual acuity remain at least 20/40 in each eye without corrective lenses or visual acuity separately corrected to 20/40 or better with corrective lenses and distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40 in both eyes with or without corrective lenses. The requirement for field of vision was revised to at least 120 degrees in each eye measured separately in the horizontal meridian. The standard also now states that a driver should have the ability to respond safely and effectively to the color of traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green, and amber, although no test for color vision is required. The instructions to perform and record the visual examination were extensively revised as were the identification of the type of equipment, specification of stimuli needed to conduct testing, and instructions on how to perform tests. In addition, revisions were made to the list of visual disorders and impairments to be noted on the exam form.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1993/1421/1421-006.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=EVALUATION+OF+THE+FEDERAL+VISION+STANDARD+FOR+COMMERCIAL+MOTOR+VEHICLE+OPERATORS&author=L.+Decina&author=M.+Breton&publication_year=1993
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1421, Traffic Control Devices, Visibility, and Traffic Signal Systems. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Decina, Lawrence E
  • Breton, Michael E
• Publication Date: 1993

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 45-52
• Monograph Title: Traffic control devices, visibility, and traffic signal systems
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1421
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Color vision; Federal laws; Field of vision; Guides to the literature; Literature reviews; Recommendations; Standards; Truck drivers; Vision; Vision disorders; Vision tests; Visually impaired persons; Workshops
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00647266
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309055741
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 2 1994 12:00AM