If you are applying for an HGV licence, eyesight is one of the most important parts of your medical assessment.
HGV drivers fall under Group 2 driving standards, which have higher eyesight requirements than those for ordinary car and motorcycle drivers.
You might therefore be able to drive a car while still failing to meet the eyesight standards required for an HGV licence.
Understanding the requirements before your medical can help you identify whether you may need glasses, contact lenses or further assessment.
What Eyesight Standard Do HGV Drivers Need?
For Group 2 drivers, DVLA requires a visual acuity of at least 6/7.5 in the better eye and 6/60 in the poorer eye. These measurements can be achieved with corrective contact lenses where necessary.
In simple terms, this means your better eye needs to provide relatively high visual acuity, while your weaker eye is allowed to have substantially poorer vision.
Glasses can be used to meet the standard. However, where glasses are required, the corrective power must not exceed +8 dioptres in any meridian of either lens. Contact lenses do not have the same specific power restriction.
This is one reason why having your glasses or contact lenses available during your medical is important if you normally rely on them for driving.
The DVLA standards also apply to the visual field, meaning good central vision alone is not necessarily enough.
HGV Medical: What About Your Peripheral Vision?
Your visual field is the area you can see while looking straight ahead.
For Group 2 HGV and bus drivers, DVLA requires an uninterrupted horizontal visual field of at least 160 degrees, with an extension of at least 70 degrees to both the left and right and at least 30 degrees above and below the horizontal. There must also be no defect within the central 30-degree radius.
This is stricter than the visual-field requirement for ordinary car drivers.
Conditions affecting peripheral vision can therefore become particularly important when applying for or renewing an HGV licence. Examples can include certain forms of glaucoma, retinal disease or other conditions that cause visual field loss.
If DVLA requires a formal visual-field assessment, an Esterman visual field test may be used.
It is also worth remembering that eyesight is not simply about whether you can read a standard eye chart. Visual acuity, peripheral vision and other aspects of visual function can all matter.
What If You Wear Glasses or Have Poor Eyesight?
Poor eyesight does not automatically mean you cannot obtain an HGV licence.
Many drivers meet the Group 2 standards with glasses or contact lenses. The key question is whether your corrected vision meets the required DVLA thresholds.
If you have an existing eye condition, previous eye surgery or known visual-field problems, it is sensible to check the relevant DVLA requirements before your medical.
You should also bring the glasses or contact lenses that you normally use for driving to your appointment.
At SimplyMedicals, our HGV medical assessments are designed to make the process as straightforward as possible for professional drivers. We can assess the relevant medical requirements and help you understand whether further information or investigation may be needed.
Remember that the medical assessment itself is not the same as DVLA making the final licensing decision. DVLA considers the medical information and applies its licensing standards.
The eyesight requirements for HGV drivers are there for an important reason: driving a large vehicle safely requires a high level of visual awareness, including the ability to detect hazards outside your direct line of sight.
If you are due an HGV medical, checking your eyesight requirements in advance can help make sure you arrive prepared and reduce the risk of avoidable delays.
Ultimately, It all starts with your HGV medical Examinations.
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