DVLA instructions say it should be distance glasses but my optometrist insists it's better to wear reading glasses, as you are looking at close objects in the field vision test. Elsewhere I have read that varifocals are unsuitable!
I had my DVLA Test back in the summer and used my varifocal glasses. Passed the test thankfully with an add on on my licence that glasses must be worn all the time whilst driving.
As it happens my test coincided when my 3yrs was up for renewal for over 70’s, so I am assuming that when I next apply in 3 yrs, I shall need to take the test again unless I am told otherwise by the Consultant.
I was the complete opposite and found that my varifocals were not really suited the distance in the dome. But none of us have the same lens or frames, so what works for one, may not work for another. After being recalled twice, I was reassuringly advised that I’d seem every light, without them.
I understood you just wear the same glasses you would usually wear to drive in as you are replicating the conditions when you drive. If you drive without glasses then you test without. It makes no sense to me to be wearing close up lenses…unless that’s what you drive in!
The only issue I can see is if you wear glasses for driving with very small frames or very thick frames, as when driving you can turn your eye and head to focus on something to miss the frames, but in the DVLA sight test obviously you are in a fixed chin rest and in most tests you focus on one central fixed light, so thick rims may obscure the peripheral lights.
The point is they are trying to replicate a situation where you are driving and focussed ahead and something comes in via your peripheral vision and deduce whether you would see it or not.
To be fair if you’re in variofocals you get used to moving your head to find the clearest point of the lens to see things. Probably in driving you don’t do this quite as much, so it’s a fair test to see what you can see in your periphery without moving your head.
I think I’ve always used my variofocals as that’s what I drive in. They also have reactolite lenses which I was concerned might impede the test, but they don’t seem to go dark in the test. I always mention it just in case though.
I did the test recently and asked to do one in my distance glasses and one without them. I didn't think to do one in reading glasses. I asked Specsavers in advance if I would get copies of my test results. They were happy to supply them and I see that my results were identical both with and without my distance glasses. However for the acuity test I saw smaller letters with my distance glasses on of course. Have thankfully been granted a 3 yr medical licence with the condition I wear my distance glasses.
My understanding is that the hospital visual field tests are more stringent to detect early loss in either eye. Therefore, they are done on each eye separately and vary in their intensity of light. (See previous discussion: healthunlocked.com/glaucoma... )
The DVLA test is done with both eyes open and with the brightest light intensity allowed for the test. You can wear glasses if you use them for driving. The DVLA seek to confirm that you have the minimum visual requirement to ensure safe driving on the roads.
The hospital tests only look at central vision for each eye separately - approx 30 degrees from fixation. The DVLA or Esterman test looks at 120 degrees with both eyes. In other words the Esterman test looks for defects that the hospital tests never test for. It is possible to have severe peripheral vision loss and this would not be picked up by hospital visual field test. (That has been my experience. I was showing mild glaucoma symptoms in one eye - my other one is worse - but when I took the subsequent Esterman test for DVLA discovered that my extreme peripheral vision in both eyes was very poor. )
One thing to bear in mind though. The hospital test is done separately for each eye and one of your eyes - the left in your case and mine! - shows quite dense loss. But......it is fairly central vision as I mentioned before and when you do the Esterman / DVLA test you will see a lot of the central section with both eyes so you will compensate for central loss in your left eye by your right eye seeing some of the left side. I hope that makes sense.
It sounds that your extreme peripheral vision in your left eye is not too bad and that is why a) you see far left with your left eye and b) central left with your right eye.
I'm sure you'll be fine with that kind of result, I hope you get quite a few years before they want to test you again. I found that my far peripheral vision on both eyes was poor - this was not picked up by hospital VF tests and as a result I have a 1 year recall.
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