What your visual field is
Your field of vision is everything you can see while looking straight ahead, including the edges, without moving your eyes. For driving it is crucial, because it is your peripheral vision that picks up a child stepping off a kerb, a cyclist coming alongside, or a car approaching from a junction. You can have perfectly sharp central vision and still be unsafe to drive if your field has significant gaps.
Because field loss often creeps in slowly and the brain fills in the gaps, many people are completely unaware of it, which is exactly why it is tested formally rather than left to how you feel.
What reduces the field of vision
Several conditions narrow or punch holes in the field of vision. Glaucoma is the classic example, gradually eroding the periphery over years. A stroke can remove half of the field in both eyes at once. Advanced diabetic eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and the effects of some retinal conditions can also reduce it. Because several of these affect both eyes, they are the conditions the DVLA is most concerned about for driving.
The DVLA field standard
For driving a car, the DVLA requires an adequate, broadly continuous field of vision across roughly the horizontal width you would expect, without significant clusters of missing points, particularly near the centre. The standard is defined precisely by the DVLA and is assessed objectively rather than by opinion. You can get a feel for how vision standards are structured using the vision standards tool, though the formal decision always rests with the DVLA.
The visual field test
Field loss is measured with a perimetry test, often an Esterman test for driving. You look into a bowl-shaped machine, keep your eyes fixed on a central point, and press a button each time you notice a light flash in your peripheral vision. The machine maps where you can and cannot see. It is painless and takes a few minutes per eye. The DVLA uses the result to decide whether your field meets the driving standard.
What to do if you are worried
If you have a condition that can affect the field of vision, such as glaucoma or a previous stroke, do not simply judge it by how you feel, because field loss is easy to miss. Have a formal field test through your optometrist or eye clinic, and report relevant conditions to the DVLA. If you are told your field does not meet the standard, you must not drive, but getting tested is the only way to know where you genuinely stand.
Not sure if you meet the standard?
Try the vision standards tool →Common questions
How does the DVLA test my field of vision?
Usually with a perimetry test such as the Esterman test. You look at a central point and press a button when you see lights flash at the edges of your vision. It maps any gaps and is used to decide whether you meet the driving standard.
Can I drive with glaucoma?
Many people with glaucoma drive perfectly safely, provided their field of vision still meets the DVLA standard. Because glaucoma erodes the field slowly and unnoticed, you should have a formal field test and report the diagnosis to the DVLA, which makes the decision.
Can I drive after a stroke that affected my vision?
Not until you have been assessed. A stroke can remove part of the visual field in both eyes, which usually means you must stop driving and notify the DVLA. Some people recover enough to meet the standard again; a formal field test determines this.
Is the visual field test painful?
No. You simply look into a machine, keep your gaze on a central spot, and press a button when you notice lights at the edges. It takes a few minutes per eye and is completely painless.
I feel my vision is fine, do I still need a test?
Yes, if you have a condition that can affect the field. Field loss is notoriously easy to miss because it develops slowly and the brain fills the gaps, so how you feel is not a reliable guide. Only a formal test can confirm it.
This page explains the standards in general terms and is not legal advice. The DVLA sets and updates the rules, so always check the current requirements on GOV.UK. If you are unsure whether you meet the standard, have your eyes tested by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Last reviewed May 2026 by Chris Matthews, Consultant Ophthalmologist.
