Can anyone on here tell me what is the legal requirement i.e the distance you need to be able to see with you’re eyes in an HGV. Only asking as i went in Hospital in January for lazer treatment and an op for Retinal tears in both eyes and a detached retina in my right. I’ve got a bubble of oil in my right eye which forced the retina back up to the eyeball they then froze it and lazer treatment on it. i go back on the 15th May to have the bubble of oil took out and hopefully that will be it. I’ve been driveing HGVS 10 year ,they haven’t took my licence off me and my eyesight is fine apart from when i cover my left eye the right one is blurred,the consoltant told me this could be caused by the oil in my eye. I only had to read a reg plate from a distance to gain my car licence which i think was from 20 metres(i may be wrong) is it the same for HGVS?? Im going to be off untill at least July i just hope i can drive trucks again so any help would be much appreciated thanks 
Dvla have brought stricter rules in last month! It’s now 6/6 as in metres whereas it used to be 20/20 vision as in 20’ ( feet ) 
check with your optometrist ASAP pal as one good eye needs to be 6/6 and the other can be corrected by wearing glasses! PITA 
I assume its the same distance as in the car test, when I was 18 I had my medical for 7.5 tonne licence dr stood at the other end off the room and I had to read a letter chart like you would in an opticians, had another medical at 21 for my hgvs same thing dr stood there asked me to read it I could t see fa! I know have to wear glasses an have an 01 code for all driving entitlements and renew my glasses with a stronger pair every 18 months at this rate ill be bloody Blind by time I’m 40(there not that bad really) it would be worth ringing dvla enquiries you don’t need to tell them who you are just ask what there requirements are regarding eye sight.
As well as the bog standard number plate test, for Cats C1 and D1 upwards the minimum is 6/9 in your better eye 6/12 in the worse eye on a Snellen thing.
I’ve just done it at an opticians for my renewal (as the doc wasn’t qualified) and without specs, I mean I’ve “just” done it. 
It’s all in here. Download the “INF4D Medical Examination Report D4” leaflet (then see p7 onwards).
I did the field test when I went to the opticians before I got referred to the hospital and I was really struggling with my right eye as I couldn’t see out of the corner of my eye, now after the op I can its just its blurred if I cover my left eye. Obviously my left eye is making up for my right eye and doing more of the work load.
Fatboy slimslow:
Dvla have brought stricter rules in last month! It’s now 6/6 as in metres whereas it used to be 20/20 vision as in 20’ ( feet )
How is 6/6 stricter than 20/20 when it’s the same distance? lol.
nickb67:
As well as the bog standard number plate test, for Cats C1 and D1 upwards the minimum is 6/9 in your better eye 6/12 in the worse eye on a Snellen thing.I’ve just done it at an opticians for my renewal (as the doc wasn’t qualified) and without specs, I mean I’ve “just” done it.
It’s all in here. Download the “INF4D Medical Examination Report D4” leaflet (then see p7 onwards).
Those are the basic rules, there are other guidance notes available which go into more detail, as in there are exceptions to those rules depending on when you took your first medical for the HGV medical, and what your eye sight standard was then, because it hasn’t always been as strict as it is now, but it all depends on when you passed your test.
Wether it would be useful to the OP I don’t know because it is a recent condition.
Thanks for the link and help, the link explains things more clearly than what I knew before 
weeto:
How is 6/6 stricter than 20/20 when it’s the same distance? lol.
Thats what I said it USED to be called 20/20 vision ( feet ) is now 6/6 ( metres ) is EXACTLY THE SAME DISTANCE!
Don’t worry about reading number plates at 20 yards. The legal requirement is an eye chart test and the legal unaided test is the top three lines on the eye chart which is the big letters.If u can’t see the top three lines then you really shouldn’t be driving anything lol
Fatboy slimslow:
weeto:
How is 6/6 stricter than 20/20 when it’s the same distance? lol.Thats what I said it USED to be called 20/20 vision ( feet ) is now 6/6 ( metres ) is EXACTLY THE SAME DISTANCE!
In your first post (immediately after the OP) you said:
Fatboy slimslow:
Dvla have brought stricter rules in last month! It’s now 6/6 as in metres whereas it used to be 20/20 vision as in 20’ ( feet ) …
So, you seem to be contradicting yourself.
All drivers must be able to read in good light with glasses or contact lenses if worn, a car number plate from 20 metres (post 01.09.2001 font) and have eyesight (visual acuity) of 6/12 (decimal Snellen equivalent 0.5) or better.
Applicants for Group 2 entitlements must also have, as measured by the 6 metre Snellen chart.
- a visual acuity of at least 6/7.5 (decimal Snellen equivalent 0. in the better eye
- a visual acuity of at least 6/60 (decimal Snellen equivalent 0.1) in the worse eye.
This may be achieved with or without glasses or contact lenses. - If glasses are worn, the distance spectacle prescription of either lens used must not be of a corrective power greater than plus 8 (+8) dioptres.
We may still issue a driving licence if:
- You are an applicant who first held a Group 2 driving licence after 1 March 1992 and also held that licence on 31 December 1996 and have an acuity of 6/9 (decimal Snellen equivalent 0.6) in the better eye and 6/12 (decimal Snellen equivalent 0.5) in the worse eye and an uncorrected acuity of 3/60 (decimal Snellen equivalent 0.05) in at least one eye.
or
If you cannot meet the eyesight standards above but were first licensed to drive Group 2 vehicles before 1 March 1992, you may still be considered for a licence provided you can still meet the eyesight standards which applied when you first held a Group 2 licence. You must also be able to meet the eyesight standard for all drivers and you would not be able to apply for any new lorry or bus entitlements that you have not previously held. You can get more information about the medical standards from Drivers Medical Group, DVLA, Swansea SA99 1TU or phone 0300 790 6807.
Car driving licence holders who are renewing category C1 (small or medium lorries between 3500 — 7500 kG) need to meet the number plate test and have eyesight (visual acuity) of 6/12 (decimal Snellen equivalent 0.5) or better. Category D1 (minibuses not for hire or reward) must meet the eyesight standard for Group 2 drivers.
Is this requirement of eyesight with or without glasses? I’m short sighted and always have been and while my eyesight is pretty rubbish without my glasses its perfectly normal with them. Does this now mean that because my eyesight is very poor without specs I wont be able to drive a truck in the UK, even though I wear them 100% of the time I’m awake and can see fine with them?
Edit.
I’ve just looked at my latest prescription that I had done a few weeks ago here in Canada, though I presume its the same as the UK and my highest diopter is 4.50 but its a minus rather than a plus.
RIZZO101:
Don’t worry about reading number plates at 20 yards. The legal requirement is an eye chart test and the legal unaided test is the top three lines on the eye chart which is the big letters.If u can’t see the top three lines then you really shouldn’t be driving anything lol
Why not, DVLA don’t have a problem with me driving trucks, with my worse eye I can only read or should I say I am only required to read the top line without glasses from 3 meters, also I’m not required to wear glasses, no 101 code on my licence, although the the doctor who did my last medical was sure I would lose my HGV entitelment, I thought I was gonna lose it, until I found the rules that’s just been posted.
dieseldave:
Fatboy slimslow:
weeto:
How is 6/6 stricter than 20/20 when it’s the same distance? lol.Thats what I said it USED to be called 20/20 vision ( feet ) is now 6/6 ( metres ) is EXACTLY THE SAME DISTANCE!
In your first post (immediately after the OP) you said:
Fatboy slimslow:
Dvla have brought stricter rules in last month! It’s now 6/6 as in metres whereas it used to be 20/20 vision as in 20’ ( feet ) …So, you seem to be contradicting yourself.
as in its not called 20/20 vision ANYMORE! It’s now called 6/6 Dave!
In general, the further away from zero the number on your prescription, the poorer your eyesight and the more vision correction you need. A plus sign in front of the number means you are long-sighted, also called hyperopia (difficulty focusing on close objects), and a minus sign means you are short-sighted, also called myopia (difficulty focusing on distant objects).
These numbers represent dioptres, the unit used to measure the correction, or focusing power, of the lens your eye requires. Dioptre is often abbreviated as D. For example, if your prescription says -1.00, you have one dioptre of short-sightedness. This is a fairly mild degree of myopia. If you are -4.25, that means you have 4 and 1/4 dioptres of myopia. This is more short-sighted than -1.00, and requires stronger lenses. Similarly, +1.00 would be a small degree of long-sightedness and +5 would be greater.
They may not remove your entitlement now, but may do if you don’t satisfy the current standard when you next have your group 2 medical.
Santa:
These numbers represent dioptres, the unit used to measure the correction, or focusing power, of the lens your eye requires. Dioptre is often abbreviated as D. For example, if your prescription says -1.00, you have one dioptre of short-sightedness. This is a fairly mild degree of myopia. If you are -4.25, that means you have 4 and 1/4 dioptres of myopia. This is more short-sighted than -1.00, and requires stronger lenses. Similarly, +1.00 would be a small degree of long-sightedness and +5 would be greater.
Do these new rules only apply to long sightedness as in a dioptre of +8 or also short sightedness to -8?