Section 112.14. Conditions affecting sensory function.

 

(1)  With respect to conditions affecting sensory function, the review boards when making recommendations, and the department when taking licensing action, may consider conditions including, but not limited to, the following:

(a) Cataracts.

(b) Macular degeneration.

(c) Retinitis pigmentosa.

(d) Diabetic retinopathy.

(e) Glaucoma.

(f) Deafness.

(2)  The department may require information on functional ability including, but not limited to, the following:

(a) Visual acuity.

(b) Field of vision.

(c) Hearing.

(3)  

(a) Licensing standards. No endorsement or license may be issued to, renewed by, or held by a person who does not meet the medical review standards for conditions affecting sensory functions of this subsection.

(b) Corrective lenses. A person needing corrective lenses to meet the standards in this section shall be restricted to use of those lenses while driving. No person may use a bioptic telescopic or similar lens in order to meet the visual acuity standards of this subsection if the lens reduces the field of vision below the standards in this subsection.

(c) Medical standards for school bus and passenger endorsements. A person who applies for, renews, or holds a school bus or passenger endorsement shall meet all of the following criteria:

1. Visual acuity of at least 20/40 in each eye, corrected or uncorrected.

2. A horizontal, temporal field of vision of 70 ° or more from center in each eye.

3. The ability to distinguish traffic signal colors of red, green and amber.

4. Either of the following:

a. The ability to hear with or without a hearing aid the instructions given in normal conversational tones during the course of the screening test for vision and the driving examination.

b. No hearing loss greater than 40 decibels at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz, with or without a hearing aid, based on a test by an audiometric device.

(d) Medical standards for commercial driver licenses. A person who applies for, renews, or holds a commercial driver license shall meet all of the following criteria:

1. Visual acuity of at least 20/60 or better in at least one eye as assessed by a vision specialist.

2. A horizontal, temporal field of vision of 70 ° or more from center in at least one eye.

(e) Medical standards for all classes of operators licenses. A person who applies for, renews, or holds any classification of operator's license shall meet all of the following criteria:

1. Uncorrected or corrected visual acuity of at least 20/100 or better in at least one eye, as assessed by a vision specialist.

2. A horizontal, temporal field of vision of 20 ° or more from center in at least one eye.

(f) Referral or evaluation. The department shall refer a person for examination by a vision specialist as specified in subds. 1. , 2. and 4. and shall restrict any license issued to a person having a vision condition specified in subds. 1. to 4. as follows:

1. If a person has uncorrected or corrected visual acuity of less than 20/40 in each eye, but at least 20/60 in one eye, the department shall refer the person to a vision specialist for examination and an advisory recommendation. The person shall complete a driving evaluation as recommended by the vision specialist. The person's license shall be assigned restrictions, based upon a recommendation from the vision specialist or the results of a driving evaluation demonstrating adequate compensation for the loss of vision.

2. If a person has uncorrected or corrected visual acuity of less than 20/60 in each eye, but 20/100 or better in one eye, the department shall refer the person to a vision specialist for examination and an advisory recommendation. The person shall complete a driving evaluation. The person's license shall be assigned restrictions, based upon a recommendation from the vision specialist and the results of a driving evaluation demonstrating adequate compensation for the loss of vision.

3. If a person has a horizontal, temporal field of vision of less than 70 ° from center in one eye and 70 ° or more from center in the other eye, the person's license shall be restricted to driving with an outside rear view mirror to compensate for the loss of field of vision. A person restricted to driving with a right outside rear view mirror may have this restriction waived based on a driving evaluation demonstrating adequate compensation for the loss of field of vision.

4. If a person has horizontal, temporal field of vision of less than 70 ° from center in each eye, the person shall be referred to a vision specialist for an examination and an advisory recommendation. The person shall complete a driving evaluation. The person's license shall be restricted to driving with outside rear view mirrors to compensate for the loss of field of vision. The person's license may be subject to additional license restrictions, but these may be waived based on a recommendation from a vision specialist and a driving evaluation demonstrating adequate compensation for the loss of field of vision.

(g) Special restricted operator's licenses.

1. No persons with visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better corrected eye, as certified by a vision specialist, may be issued a special restricted operator's license.

2. Persons applying for or holding a special restricted operator's license with visual acuity between 20/100 and 20/200, but not including 20/200 in the better corrected eye, as certified by a vision specialist, shall be restricted to daylight hours of operation only. Additional restrictions under s. 343.135 (6) , Stats., may also be applied.

3. Except as provided in s. 343.135 , Stats., all other regulatory and statutory licensing provisions which apply to operator's licenses also apply to special restricted licenses.

History: Cr. Register, April, 1991, No. 424 , eff. 5-1-91; reprinted to correct error, Register, October, 1991, No. 430 ; am. (3) (b), (e) 1., 2., (f) 1., 2., 4., Register, June, 1996, No. 486 , eff. 7-1-96.

Note

Special restricted operators licenses may authorize the operation of a moped or motorbicycle, s. 343.135 , Stats. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1