DVLA health notifications for drivers with ‘eyesight issues’

“You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result” stated by gov.uk.

If you are a driver, you must inform DVLA (The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) of any disability or ‘notifiable’ eye condition you have (regardless of if you’re experiencing it in one eye or both). You can check the list of health conditions that affect your driving and needs reporting to the DVLA.

An update was rolled out at the end of May 2023 regarding the list of eye conditions; Mirror and Daily Record has released a statement highlighting “an update is expected to be published in regards to the eyesight problems that drivers must notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of.” A new list of eye conditions that require notifying the DVLA is to be released soon.

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) has raised the concern that the list of eye conditions is so extensive that almost every potential driver who must go through an eye test needs to notify the DVLA. In 2017, there was a 20% increase in notifications the DVLA received from drivers with eye conditions based on the available list. The massive increase in the number of alerts does not make it easier for both the administrative system and the applicants. As so, an urgent review was requested by the AOP to address this issue.

AOP has mentioned they’re happy to be working alongside DVLA to suggest further refinements in the system. Keep an eye on the upcoming list, which will be released in coming weeks by DVLA and stay up to date with the rules.

DVLA past data – 20% increase in DVLA notifications

In light of National Eye Health Week (September 24-30), Feel Good Contacts has uncovered new exclusive data which shows a 20% increase in DVLA health notifications for drivers with ‘eyesight issues’, over a five-year period from 2013 to 2017.

The data, requested under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, showed the Government received 166,148 DVLA health notifications in 2013, compared to 200,289 last year. In addition, the number of licenses that were “refused on application or revoked for eyesight-related conditions over the last five years” totalled 42,803 for Group 1 drivers (car/motorcycle) and 6,965 for Group 2 drivers (lorry/bus).

We have many customers who require eyewear for driving; it’s crucial not only for their eye health but for the safety of other road users. Regular eye tests are highly recommended, especially if you’re struggling to see a minimum of 20 metres away, the minimum eyesight standard required by all drivers.

For a wealth of information about eye care, contact lenses and prescriptions, visit the Feel Good Eyecare Hub.



The FOI data also revealed that men are six times more likely to be disqualified from driving. 421,565 men were banned from driving from January 2014 to the end of July 2018, compared to 66,272 women in the same period.

Further data highlighted disqualification by gender, age and gave a breakdown of why the individual was disqualified. The age at which men were most frequently disqualified is 26, totalling 18,107 over the past four years. Comparatively, the common female age for disqualification was three years older at 29, totalling 2,267 women.

Men were also over:

23 times more likely to be disqualified for dangerous driving

16 times more likely to be banned for driving whilst already disqualified

15 times more likely to be banned for driving or attempting to drive whilst above the limit for drugs

10 times more likely to be disqualified for driving without due care or consideration for other road users

Rodney Kumar, spokesman for UK road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “These findings strongly back up our research and that of the Government, which shows we need a targeted approach aimed at the biggest ‘at risk’ group in the UK when it comes to road crashes – that is young men in their early to mid-twenties. If we are to make any inroads into significantly reducing the numbers of people killed or injured on our roads, we need to directly influence this group through re-education on attitudes from an early age, backed up by zero tolerance in enforcement to stop them in their tracks and make them realise bad driving just isn’t worth it.”

Disqualifications By Age And Gender