Question
My team partner has never worn glasses and has never had any trouble passing her D.O.T.
physical.
She recently went and had her eyes checked because her right eye would start to hurt for no reason.
After the exam the doc said she had a lazy right eye(he used some long name)and slight stigmatism in her left eye.He also said she did not have very good eyes for driving because she olny used one eye most of the time and had poor depth perseption.
He gave her a chit for glasses to correct the stigmatism in her left eye, but said once past the age of 10 the lazy eye could not be corrected.
My question is how is eyesight fitness measured by the D.O.T. rules in relation to the the test given at time of physical examination?
Should she try to pass the eye test without glasses first?
What is 20/20,20/30etc..
Answer
Kaiser,
Your partner should get the eyeglass prescription filled and take them with her to the Drs. office where she will be taking her DOT physical. She can attempt the test with or without her glasses. If she fails without them, she will be tested with them and her medical examiner's card will be marked for corrective lenses. Meaning if she is ever stopped and is driving without them, it could be a violation for her.
Some companies have stricter standards than the routine DOT physical and may have her vision recorded for near vision as well as far vision. As long as she has better than 20/40 in each eye separately and then together, she passes by DOT standards. Again, if a company has higher standards for their drivers than that, she may encounter problems.
Now, to answer your question about the DOT standards and the visual acuity measurements.
As I stated before, the DOT regs state you must have 20/40 or better in each eye, and then together. Failing with your right or left eye would mean a further evaluation from an optometrist or opthalmologist for corrective lenses. If glasses or contact lenses correct the problem, no big deal. That person is now required to wear glasses while driving and it is marked on your examiner's card and long form of the physical exam.
The 20/20, etc. measures how well you see at a distance of 20 feet. Hence the 20/.....
The following number indicates the ability to see at that distance. The smaller the second number is, the better your vision is at that distance.
You may find further info at our website click on the physical exam requirements section.
Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
Fixed your link Nurse Red
Monty
[This message has been edited by Trucker (edited 03-22-99).]Visit us at
Answer
Which line on the eye chart should you be able to read for 20/30 vision.
It seems to me (please let me know if i'm wrong)that what kind of light you use ie.. natural,florecent,etc.. placment of the eyechart-rest could all have determining factors on the results.
Myself I see better in natural light when I'm driving (unless the sun is in my eyes)then standing in a hallway looking at a chart.
That box they stick your face in does'nt seem very natural either.
I almost got flunked once because my blood pressure was to high from caffine.
Are there not factors that could affect your eyesight from day to day?
Should they use a natural light setting to give the test or does it not make a differnce?
[This message has been edited by kaiser (edited 03-22-99).]
Answer
Kaiser,
You are absolutely correct in your assumption that the lighting of the eye chart plays a big part in how well you do on the eye test. There are other factors too,here are a few that can affect your test results. If you have been driving in harsh weather or bright sunlight that required you to strain your eyes, if you have been awake for some time and your eyes are tired, if you work at a computer screen a lot, all of these things strain the eyes and can make your test results less than accurate.
However, that is why if you fail the exam at the eye chart, you are referred to a specialist for further, more intensive vision testing. Not often, but occaisionally a driver will fail at the eye chart, go to an eye doctor and come back with a perfectly normal test result. We then accept these results and record them on the physical exam form with a copy of the eye doctor's report attached. The driver is then on his way.
As for what line you should be able to read for a 20/30 determination will depend on the manufacturer of the eye chart. At our clinic we use a standard Snellen eye chart. Since I am writing this from my home computer, I am going to try to operate from memory and say that it is the 5th line from the bottom for 20/30. Later today, I will check the chart and correct this if necessary.
By the way, how is your partner feeling? Has the pain in her eye stopped?
By the way, as we get older, our vision starts to deteriorate (it's a natural process). Your first indicators will be with reading and close vision. All of a sudden, your arms aren't long enough. You may also begin to notice your night vision going away.
These things can be helped somewhat by increasing your intake of Vitamin A. Now before you go running for the nearest health store, take a look at your dietary intake of foods containing this vitamin. The green leafy vegetables and yellow/orange vegetables are naturally high in this vitamin especially when eaten raw or steamed.
Remember your Momma telling you to eat carrots? There ya go! You never saw a rabbit wearing glasses did you? My favorites are the raw baby carrots. You can find them packaged in any produce section already peeled. They are tender, easy to chew, perfect snack size, and as sweet as candy.
Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse RedVisit us at
Answer
Nurse Red,could you advise a certain type of contact lenses that
would be less irritating to the eyes than not
in a truck for longer periods of time?
Answer
Well Mudflap,
That's one area that requires very individualized recommendations. When at your eye doctor's explain your job to him/her and the type of problems you encounter. There are many types of lenses available these days. If you are encountering problems with dryness and irritation, I would try the rewetting solution whenever they bother you. There are lenses that vary in the amount of dryness they cause too so be sure to discuss this with the prescribing eye doctor.
Recent advancements have made contac lenses much more tolerable than before. There are extended wear types that can be worn for several days at a time, there are now bifocal lenses and lenses capable of correcting astigmatism. The latter two types were available previously but the cost was prohibitive.
When wearing contacs during bright sunny days, be sure to wear good sunglasses with higher UV protection, this can help reduce the irritation also.
Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse RedVisit us at