UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Havin read Dipesh's post I have just down loaded the DVLA Medical Fitness to drive form V1; see link

http://dvla.gov.uk/drivers/dmed1_files/pdf/v1.pdf

As far as I can see, this poses the same problems we experience with other medical situations as to where does KC sit?

On page 2, question 2b; 'Do you undertake to ensure it is suppressed or controlled when driving?

For many of us, it is Yes and No; Yes we undrtake to supress it, BUT to get enough lens wear in the day, I do not supress it in one eye. So in the morning I migt be sighted in my right eye, blured in the left, come the journey back from work, sighted in left, blured in right!

Page 2, question 3 'Do you have total loss of sight in one eye?'

This depends how you define total loss, I can see cars of certain colours, but not dark coloured ones, especially if they are motoring but I can read the standard size number plate from a distance of 20.5 meters (67 feet) with correction in only one eye, be it left or right.

Tried phoning my GP and they said I should contact the hospital and they have never said that I had to declare my KC. From the DVLA web site it is clear if you have anything other than long/short sight or colourblindness any visual condition should be declared. With just the KC corrected I am slightly short sighted, so could I get away with not making a declaration?

It would appear that after a graft it should be declared if you have no corrected vision in that eye as it may be deemed there is total loss in one eye, but again this is not clear.

Any advice or thoughts on this matter?

Regards

Gareth (Did think I was clued up on this as I spent two years training to be a driving instructor, now I have my doubts, Drivin Standards Agency no help either ot the Institute of Advanced Motorists!)

In my mind, if in doubt, declare it. If the DVLA aren't interested, then all you've lost is a stamp.

If you have an accident and it turns out later that your KC should have been declared then you will have been driving illegally, and all of a sudden your insurance won't pay out - not to mention if you should injure anyone else!

...and speaking as someone who spends his every working day battling with motor insurers in the field of getting them to cough up after an accident...I can tell you with great authority, if you give them the slightest excuse not to indemnify you, they will jump at it.

You have to be whiter than white...it just ain't worth it you can find yourself up the creek without so much as a matchstick to paddle with! Declare.

OK....

This IS a very grey area.... however...

Lets take this one step at a time...

1 Can you read a standard size number plate (with glasses or corrective lenses if necessary) from 20.5 metres (67 feet) or 20 metres (65 feet) where narrower characters (50mm wide) are displayed

Right - well that means can you see the standard with your contacts or specs with BOTH eyes. If you can then you are legal to drive when you are wearing them. Like anyone else, if you haven't got your specs on or your lenses in then you don;t get in that car.

2 Do you have double vision (diplopia)? NO YES
If YES to question 2 how is it controlled
Patch Glasses/Lenses Other Please specify:

Double vision is generally meant to be the images from each eye not fusing together - this is dangerous for driving because obviously you cannot tell what is happening if you see two of everything...! It is not actually meaning blurred vision in one eye - many "normal" people are only sighted in one eye.

However, if you find this situation handicapping and you KNOW it is dangerous for YOU, then like anyone else, you don't drive.

Do you have total loss of vision in one eye... well.. that means you have NO vision...it doesn't mean what can you see if you don't have your contacts in or your glasses on. There are not many people - even those legally blind - who have no vision at all... if you have even some diffuse vision though a graft then you do not have total loss.

Do you have any of the following eye conditions
affecting both eyes or remaining eye if sight in one
eye only?
If you have answered YES to question 4, please tick the appropriate box(es) below.
(a) Glaucoma (d) Reduction or loss of your visual field?
(b) Retinitis Pigmentosa (e) Untreated retinal detachment?
(c) Laser treatment for (f) Cataracts?
retinopathy or any other retinal condition

You don't tick any of these unless you do have them as well...

5. Do you have any other medical condition not specified at questions NO YES
4 (a) – (f) affecting both eyes, or remaining eye, if sight in one eye only?
(a) IF YES to question 5 please write the condition below
6. Please give details of the treatment to all conditions notified in the questions 2 – 5 above,
including the name of any eye drops

Now THIS you should declare because they may well specify that you do not drive in spectacles if you cannot wear your contacts - I think this does depend on the individual case.

This is all common sense really... there are many MANY people who just plain don't wear their specs when they are driving and I warn them they are in danger of invalidating their insurance if they have an accident.

If you can see OK with contacts or specs then you have no worries in declaring. If you can't, then you are endangering other people on the roads if you drive. Its as simple as that.

Actually "normally sighted" people are actually more of a danger than KCers as they are convinced they can see OK. I tested a man t e other day who was retired and drove a school bus. He confidently told me he had not been tested for years but knew for sure he was OK.. this was just a stupid beaurocratic job thing... he had never needed glasses in his life!

As it happens, he could not see the top letter with either eye without glasses... my blood ran cold to think he was driving a bus load of young children every day! He was shocked himself but still tried to bluster through... at least people with KC are aware there is a problem!!

Hope this helps...

Lynn[/i]

Can i just agree with what Paul posted - namely if in doubt, declare. I have been involved in claims in the past where conditions had not been properly declared or declared at all and when insurers found out they refused to cover the risk. Those involved then faced personal liability for the damages awarded to passengers and 3rd parties injured as well as the cost of vehicle damage. Quite simply, failure to declare anything relevant may effectively invalidate your insurance.

This was very interesting to read as with my post on DVLA i am in the same position. I was told by my consultant when i was learning to drive that i had to declare it as it would void my insurance if i didnt, so i have done for years. Now i have to take a visual field test as i had my licence stolen and am asking DVLA for a replacement and they want to check that everything is ok. I am really worried though as my eyesight is not that good, and is only in one eye.

I think i can see to read a number plate at the right distance, but someone here said that you have to be three lines from the bottom on the chart and i know i can only read five from the bottom. So maybe it will all go pear shaped now Will let you know, but my advice is to declare it, DVLA love to have something that they can pick you up on, so dont give them a chance!!!

Also, does anyone know if you get called in for eyetests as you get older if they know you have this condition and it is going to get worse? Just a thought, thanks!

Claire X x X

Claire....

Three or five lines from the bottom depends on the bottom of which chart!! I work in three different branches and each chart has a different bottom line!!

Let me explain..charts have a standard of vision allocated to each "line". Although 6/6 or 20/20 (as the americans call it) is the official standard of "perfect vision".. ie the "bottom line" it is actually no such thing... many people can get better than this - and many charts have extra lines below the 6/6: ie 6/5; 6/4 ; 6/3

The number plate standard is around line 6/12 - which IS three lines from the bottom of the chart if the actual last line is 6/6. If the chart you are reading from has a bottom line of 6/4 then 5 lines above THAT is actually still 6/12!!

So what you have to go on is the actual line allocation... not how many up you can read...

The DVLA actually works on self reporting - they don't "call you in" as such and we optoms are not required to report anyone who does not reach the standard. You, yourself are expected to check on your vision and report back to the DVLA and if you do not declare poor vision when you should - then you are in all sorts of trouble if you have an accident - not least if you actually injure or kill someone...

It is your responsibility to check your vision regularly. The only way to be sure is to have an eye examination and establish exactly what you can and can't see under various circumstances - ie with specs, contact lenses and nothing at all...

Lynn

LOL!!!!!

Hehehehe, that was way too funny as you know when i said that i kinda thought i was going mad! In A and E we have a chart but to be honest i havent actually looked at the bottom line as i cant see to read it as it is not bright enough and when someone is reading it i am paying more attention to what they are saying!!!!!!!!!!!

I just kinda thought that opticians were different and that if it was for a visual field test the chart would be the same. Ours is only a chart not a light box. I do understand though how to write one down so it makes sense to me!

I am just hoping that it will go ok tomorrow, thanks for your reply!

Claire X x X

Well.. I am glad you didn't think I was wirting gobbledegook ... it all sounded a bit Monty Python when I was writing it!

"Well, the bottom line is the bottom line except when it isn't the bottom line... in which case it is the next but one line to the bottom line but if you can't see it anyway.... " hehe...

Visual field testing is a whole different thing.. thats when you look into a machine and have to press a button when you see lights flashing...

Lynn

oh thats what im having tomorrow then, havent had one before. Will i fail that if i only have sight in one eye?? Is it just to make sure you can see full vision so that you can drive?