Ariz. Admin. Code § R17-4-503 - Vision Standards
A.
Definitions. 7.
6. "Impaired night
vision" means below normal ability to see in reduced light.
8.
7.
"Monocular vision" means the ability to see in one eye only.
9.
8.
"Optometrist" means a person licensed to practice optometry in any state,
territory, or possession of the United States or the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico.
10.
9. "Retinitis pigmentosa" means a chronic progressive
inflammation of the retina with atrophy and pigmentary infiltration of the
inner layers of the retina.
11.
10. "Snellen Chart"
means a chart imprinted with lines of black letters of decreasing size for
testing visual acuity.
12.
11. "Visual acuity"
means the clarity of a person's vision.
1. "Binocular vision" means the
ability to see in both eyes.
2.
"Bioptic telescopic lens system" means a bioptic, spectacle-mounted corrective
lens prescribed by a physician or optometrist for meeting vision acuity
requirements for driving that uses magnification as the main method of
obtaining minimal visual acuity.
3.
"Corrected visual acuity" means distance vision corrected by eyeglasses,
contact lenses, or a bioptic telescopic lens system.
4. "Corrective lens" means eyeglasses,
contact lenses, or a bioptic telescopic lens system used to correct distance
vision.
5. "Diplopia" means double
vision.
6.
"Field of vision" means the area in which objects
may be seen when the eye is fixed.
12. "Visual field" means the area in which
objects may be seen when the eye is fixed.
B. Standard. The following applies only to
class D, G, or M applicants or licensees.
1.
Visual acuity. A person shall have binocular or monocular vision and visual
acuity of 20/40 in at least one eye.
a. The
Department shall not license a person with monocular vision and visual acuity
of 20/50 or greater.
b. The
Department shall not license a person with binocular vision and visual acuity
of 20/70 or greater.
2.
Visual field. Field of vision shall be 70 degrees or greater temporally, and 35
degrees or greater nasally, in at least one eye.
C. Restrictions.
1. A person with corrected vision shall wear
corrective lenses at all times when driving if the corrective lens is required
to achieve the vision standards in subsection (B).
2. The Department shall restrict a person
with diagnosed impaired night vision to daytime driving only.
3. The Department shall restrict a person
with binocular vision and corrected or uncorrected visual acuity of 20/50 or
20/ 60, when using both eyes, to daytime driving only.
4.
The Division shall not license a person with
monocular vision and visual acuity of 20/50 or greater.
5.
The Division shall not license a person with
binocular vision and visual acuity of 20/70 or greater.
D. Screening process.
1. The Department, a physician, or an
optometrist may administer visual acuity and visual field screening through the
use of visual screening equipment or the Snellen Chart to determine if a
person's visual acuity meets minimum standards and through the use of visual
screening equipment to determine if a person's visual field meets minimum
standards.
2. A person may use a
bioptic telescopic lens system during vision screening.
a. Beginning on the date of an initial
application and every year thereafter, a person using a bioptic telescopic lens
system shall submit to the Department an annual exam performed by a physician
or optometrist to ascertain whether the person has a progressive eye
disease.
b. The Department shall
not license a person using a bioptic telescopic lens system unless the person
submits to the Department a vision examination form provided by the Department
and completed by a physician or an optometrist indicating that the individual
meets the visual acuity standard as prescribed in subsection (B).
c. The Department shall not license a person
using a bioptic telescopic lens system with magnification of the lens that is
more than 4X.
3.
The Division shall conduct visual acuity screening
through the use of visual screening equipment or the Snellen Chart to determine
whether a person's corrected vision is 20/40 in at least one
eye.
E. Reporting requirements.
1. A person choosing to have initial visual
acuity and visual field screening done by a physician or an optometrist shall
submit the results to the Department.
2. If the Department does initial visual
acuity and visual field screening and the person does not meet vision standards
of subsection (B), the Department shall require the person to submit the
results of the person's visual acuity and visual field screening by a physician
or an optometrist.
3. The
Department shall require a person diagnosed with any of the following
conditions to file the results of the person's visual acuity and visual field
screening completed by the physician or optometrist:
a. Any progressive eye disease,
b. Diplopia, or
c. Impaired night vision.
F. Results of visual
acuity and visual field screening from a physician or optometrist shall contain
the following.
1. An examination date no more
than three months before the submission date to the Department;
2. Visual acuity and visual field;
3. If applicable, specification that the
person is monocular;
4. If
applicable, diagnosis of any condition described in subsection
(E)(3);
5. Any recommendations on
frequency of reporting requirements for the person, in addition to those
required by the Department;
6.
Suggested restrictions on driving, in addition to those required by the
Department; and
7. Any
recommendations on the person's ability to safely operate a motor
vehicle.
G. The
Department shall require a driving test if a person's eye disease is determined
by a physician or optometrist to be progressive.
Notes
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