DRIVING, LOW VISION & THE DMV

Most people, regardless of their vision status, like to drive. Being able to hop behind the wheel and take off is important to one’s identity and independence. I used to take this mobility for granted. That changed on December 26, 2014.

That cold, wintry night I came inches from hitting a parked car. It was my Come-to-Jesus moment. I had been living in denial for over a decade. Over this time my vision continued to decline but I kept telling myself: “My vision isn’t really that bad.” This was despite ample proof to the contrary. The truth was that my vision problems were putting me and other folks at risk.

Since then I have become a student of low vision. I do drive now but only in limited situations. I never drive at night or during days that are cloudy, misty or dark. I limit my driving to three miles or so around my house. I know these streets and two freeways like the back of my hand.  I never drive outside this zone. (I’ve become an avid Uber customer.)

ENTER THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES – "THE DMV”

One day I received an unexpected notification (shown on the left) from the Minnesota DMV that said: It is necessary that your doctor express an opinion as to whether your vision will permit the safe operation of a motor vehicle.

The next sentence really got my attention: Failure to comply with this request by November 25, 2015 will result in the cancellation of your Minnesota driving privileges.

My first thought was that my private medical records must have been compromised. That wasn't what happened.  When I registered with Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) their policy was/is to notify the DMV.

I was angry at first but I realized it was a logical thing for SSB to do. When someone applies for assistance from SSB, it is reasonable to ask if they have the necessary vision to drive safely.

Fortunately, I have an eye doctor. He examined me and filled out the form on the right. The key question was whether he would sign it. He told me: "It was close, but you made it!" Whew...

A couple of months after this happened I received a notification from the DMV that it was time for my Driver’s License to be renewed. Apparently this notification was not related to the incident above.

So I went to a DMV office near me and had no problem renewing my license. I passed the five-second eye test and no questions were asked.

Once you go public with your low vision you will be labeled by some as "disabled." I was in denial about my fading eyesight for many years. So, I don't tell many people about my low vision unless it is brought up.