Is the wearing of glasses or contact lenses while driving still respected? Not really. According to the latest visual health barometer 2023, carried out by OpinionWay for the National Association for the Improvement of Vision (Asnav), 42% do not wear their glasses while driving. And that’s eight points more than in 2021. Clearly, four out of ten French people say they do not wear their glasses while driving when they need visual correction.
However, if you forget your glasses or contact lenses while driving, you risk a fine and loss of points on your driving license. But actually, what do the regulations say? How is it applied? We’ll explain it to you.
A note on your driving license
According to article R221-1-1 of the Highway Code, “no one may drive a vehicle or a combination of vehicles, for the driving of which a driving license is required by this code, unless he or she holds the corresponding category of valid driving license and is it does not respect the restrictions of use mentioned on this title”.
Let us understand by: “if it does not respect the restrictions of use mentioned on this title”, all restrictive information related to the driver that may appear on the driving license. In this case, code “01” relating to “correction and/or protection of vision” is one of the restrictions. Clearly, if it says that you wear glasses (or contact lenses) on your license, remember to wear them every time you get behind the wheel.
If you want to check that your license includes the specific mention of wearing glasses or contact lenses, simply consult the back of your pink paper. For credit card format permits, the code will be affixed in box number 12. And for cardboard permits, the mention is also noted on the back and/or in the restrictions column in the permit category table.
Read also: Why do new driving licenses have an expiry date? We answer you
Add or remove the mention
In order to add the specific mention on their license, “applicants for a driving license in a driving school must complete a driving license application, also called Cerfa 02 form”, specifies Franck Cohen, lawyer in road law, on his website. “In this document, the future driver must check the box “wearer of a vision correction device (corrective lenses, contact lenses, etc.)” if this is the case, and declare on their honor that they are a wearer glasses or lenses. »
Last thing, if you no longer need glasses or contact lenses after eye surgery, you must request a new permit from your prefecture to remove the “01” mention. In this case, “you must ask your ophthalmologist for a certificate proving that you have undergone the operation” before making an appointment “to undergo a medical check-up with an approved doctor”, underlines the Public Service. Once these steps have been completed, you will receive your new driving license, without the specific code “01”.
What are the risks in the event of a roadside check?
If your driving license contains the mention “01” relating to wearing glasses, be sure to raise your glasses when you get behind the wheel. Otherwise, in the event of a road check, if you do not wear your corrective device, you are exposed to a fixed fine of €135 (reduced to €90 if you pay your fine within the allotted time or increased to €365 beyond 60 days).
Be careful, you also risk having three points removed from your driving license. Not to mention that your vehicle can also be immobilized if the police consider that you represent a potential danger on the road.
Finally, note “that in the event of a responsible accident, the insurance may not compensate him”, adds Me Franck Cohen on his blog. Concretely, it is better to be vigilant and wear your glasses or contact lenses to drive safely.
