Commercial motor vehicle drivers need to have excellent vision in order to perform their job duties well. The regulations are laid out in 49 CFR 391.41 b 10. Drivers must meet these qualifications in order to be physically qualified to operate a motor vehicle. Anyone who doesn’t meet the minimum qualifications won’t be able to renew their medical card and will not be able to operate a commercial motor vehicle legally in the United States. It is of the utmost importance for drivers to take care of their health in order to be medically qualified to operate a commercial vehicle legally.
Driver Vision Regulations
According to 49 CFR 391.41 b 10, a driver is physically qualified to operate a commercial vehicle if their visual acuity is at least 20/40 in each eye when they are not wearing corrective lenses. They may wear corrective lenses to correct their vision to 20/40 or better. The driver’s central and peripheral vision must also be good. Their field of vision is required to be 70 degrees or more in the horizontal meridian of each eye. The driver must be able to recognize the colors of traffic signals and differentiate between green, amber and red.Vision screening tests are required. The tests must measure the driver’s visual acuity in both eyes together as well as each eye individually. The test may be administered by an optometrist, an ophthalmologist or a medical examiner. The medical examiner is the one who determines whether a driver is physically capable of operating a commercial vehicle safely. During the vision test, the doctor will look for pupillary equality, ocular motility, nystagmus, ocular muscle imbalance and exophalmos. They will also test how the driver’s eyes reaction to light. The examiner will also ask each driver about their visual history and if they have experienced a number of symptoms of eye disease.
Most medical examiners don’t have the proper equipment to diagnose eye diseases in their offices because the scope of their practice doesn’t include the diagnosis and treatment of such diseased. They will refer the driver to an optometrist or ophthalmologist for diagnosis and treatment if they notice any abnormalities. The medical examiner will look at the results from the driver’s visit to the specialist to determine whether the driver’s vision meets the federal requirements.
Driver Disqualification
There are a few visual conditions that disqualify drivers from obtaining their medical card. Drivers must have good central and peripheral vision to operate a motor vehicle safely, so they may be disqualified if they are found to have certain eye conditions during their vision screening tests. Drivers must have the ability to judge the distance of other vehicles and other objects. They must be able to judge distance in order to pass other vehicles, make lane changes and perform other driving duties. When a driver has monocular vision their vision only meets the requirements in one of their eyes. The driver may need corrective lenses to meet the requirements in that eye, but they are unable to meet the vision requirements with the other eye even with corrective lenses. Drivers with this condition have deficiencies with depth perception, especially in low-light conditions.
Federal Exemptions
Drivers whose vision is monocular may still be able to obtain a valid medical card if they are otherwise qualified. The driver must submit their application to the Federal Vision Exemption Program. The driver can present a valid vision exemption certificate as well as a copy of the report they were given by the vision specialist regarding the condition of their eyes to the medical examiner to be eligible to receive a medical certificate. The driver can be certified for up to one year if the examiner marks the exemption check box on the medical card long form and writes vision on the card to identify the federal exemption type.
The medical examiner who performs the driver’s physical cannot issue a federal vision exemption, as the application must be presented to the Federal Vision Exemption Program. Both the certificate from the medical examiner that shows that the driver is otherwise qualified to receive a valid medical card and the federal vision exemption form must be possessed by a driver with monocular vision before they may operate a commercial vehicle legally.