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Group 2 lorry and bus drivers

Find out the vision requirements for group 2 lorry and bus drivers

There are specific requirements for patients who drive a lorry or a bus.

Lorry and bus drivers must have a visual acuity at least 0.8 (6/7.5) measured on the Snellen scale in their best eye and at least 0.1 (6/60) on the Snellen scale in the other eye. Glasses or contact lenses can be worn to reach this standard but they can’t have a spectacle power greater than plus (+) 8 dioptres (there is no restriction on contact lens power).

We do not recommend carrying out Esterman visual field testing for the purposes of assessing fitness to drive, unless the DVLA have requested it. If a group 2 driver has a medical condition which may affect their binocular field of vision, the DVLA can arrange for visual field testing to be carried out. The DVLA are responsible for determining medical fitness to drive, and practitioners should avoid commenting on whether drivers meet the visual field requirements. For reference, details regarding visual field requirements can be found on the government website: Assessing fitness to drive - a guide for medical professionals

Advice on completing the DVLA D4 medical examination report

Group 2 (lorry and bus) drivers are required to submit a D4 Medical examination report when they first apply for a licence, and at regular intervals after the age of 45. The vision assessment part of the form must be completed by a doctor, optician or optometrist.

If you are asked to complete the vision assessment part of a D4 Medical examination report you should:

  • Ask the patient to provide a form of ID, so you can check their identity at the time of the examination, and record that you have done so
  • Allow sufficient time to complete the form carefully
  • Complete the form on the same day you examine the patient. The form cannot be completed from previous records
  • Measure visual acuity using the correction which is currently worn for driving. If the patient’s prescription has recently changed, the driver may wish to update their correction before undergoing the test.
  • Visual acuity should be recorded to the last whole line the patient was able to read, eg ‘6/6’. Snellen readings shown with a plus(+) or minus (-) are not acceptable, eg 6/6-2 or 6/9+3
  • If spectacles are worn, they must not exceed plus(+)8.00 dioptres in any meridian. There is no restriction on contact lens power
  • If the driver has as medical condition which may affect their visual field, the DVLA will arrange a test at a later date. We do not recommend performing visual fields testing for the purposes of driver licencing, unless the DVLA have asked you to do so
  • Explain your findings to the patient, but do not comment on whether they are fit to hold a group 2 licence; this is a matter for the DVLA to determine
  • Make a copy of the completed D4 form, and keep this with the patient’s clinical notes

The DVLA have published an Information and useful notes leaflet to assist in completing the D4 ‘Medical examination report’.

Advice on question 5 (glare intolerance/impaired contrast sensitivity/impaired twilight vision)

The DVLA have confirmed that they wish to identify those individuals who actually have problems which impact their fitness to hold a group 2 licence, rather than those who simply suspect they have a problem or are merely suffering from normal physiological discomfort.

We believe that to be certain that a patient is suffering from a genuine problem, they need to report it on questioning and have an observable pathology which may be causing it. We advise asking the question in the form of:

“Do you have symptoms from glare, mistiness or poor twilight vision that affect your ability to drive?”

You should make the patient aware that they are required to answer this question honestly, but if they answer ‘yes’, it will likely result in the loss of their group 2 licence, with no apparent means of appeal.

You may choose to have them sign a statement to confirm this understanding.

Advice on question 6 and 7 (other ophthalmic conditions)

In our view, you only need to declare conditions which aren’t covered elsewhere in the form, and are also notifiable to the DVLA. This would include blepharospasm, BRVO, cataract (if notifiable), diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, AMD (if notifiable), night blindness, optic atrophy/neuritis and retinal treatment / retinopathy. The DVLA have published a list of health conditions and guidance on when they become notifiable.

Advice on helping patients complete the V1V form

Group 2 drivers are required to report certain types of visual conditions to the DVLA using a V1V form. The DVLA updated this form in January 2026, and drivers are now asked to confirm what advice they have been given by their ‘healthcare professional or optician/optometrist’.

The V1V form needs to be completed by the driver, and practitioners should not complete this form on their behalf. However, there are two questions on the form which require drivers to get specific advice from their ‘healthcare professional or optician/optometrist’, and affected drivers are therefore likely to approach their optometrist for advice.

The AOP was not consulted on the changes to the form, and in our view, there is no benefit to optometrists being asked to comment on visual adaptation, as this is not something optometrists can assess in practice. However, group 2 drivers may approach their optometrist for advice, so we have published the following guidance to assist our members:

  • Question 3 (for drivers with monocular vision)

This question asks drivers to confirm whether their healthcare professional or optician/optometrist has advised that the driver is ‘fully adapted to having vision in only one eye’.

As far as the AOP is aware, there are no properly validated tests to assess whether patients have adapted to monocularly, so it’s not possible for optometrists to confirm this. Therefore, we advise asking the question in the form of:

“Have you fully adapted to having vision in only one eye, such that it does not impair your ability to drive?”

  • Question 10 (for drivers with double vision)

This question advises patients not to drive ‘…until you have been advised by your healthcare professional or optician/optometrist that you have fully adapted to wearing a patch, prism, frosted glasses or lenses’.

As far as the AOP is aware, there are no properly validated tests to assess whether patients have adapted to interventions for mitigating double vision, so it’s not possible for optometrists to confirm this. Therefore, we advise asking the question in the form of:

“Have you fully adapted to wearing a patch, prism, frosted glasses or lenses, such that it does not impair your ability to drive?”

You should record that you have asked these questions within the patient’s clinical notes, along with the patient’s responses, and advise the patient accordingly.