“Even when laws have been written down, they ought
not always to remain unaltered.”                               

-Aristotle

Bioptic Driving State Laws

State laws authorizing bioptic driving began over three decades ago in the United States. Today, thirty-seven states allow driving in some form. Unfortunately, the laws vary greatly from state to state. States like Indiana, have defined requirements for vision levels, training and ongoing monitoring of the vision status. Some states allow bioptic driving, but fail to define the requirements for behind-the-wheel training. 

Other states fail to address the issue at all, while other states like Florida have created “Catch-22 Laws” allowing patients to drive with bioptics, but the bioptic system cannot be used to pass the vision test. In the future, we hope that the clinical experience and continuing research come together to expand the type of structured training program developed in Indiana to all states. Additionally, we need graduated licensing programs that allow restricted licenses for individuals for whom bioptics would not be the best approach. Any questions about bioptics driving in your state, please contact us at DrLaura@EyeAssociates.com or call any of our three offices.

The Low Vision Centers of Indiana

Richard L. Windsor O.D., F.A.A.O., D.P.N.A.P.
Craig Allen Ford O.D., F.A.A.O.
Laura Kathleen Windsor. O.D., F.A.A.O.