Visual acuity: At least 6/12 in one or both eyes, † with or without glasses or corrective lenses.The Austroads eligibility criteria set out the minimum requirements for obtaining a private driver’s licence in Australia, although this may be different under certain conditions (for example, if you require a heavy-duty vehicle licence): * 5 4 What are the minimum vision requirements for driving in Australia? 3 Some other organisations, including Vision Australia, are more conservative and class ‘blindness’ as having visual acuity worse than 20/200 (6/60) or field of vision of less than 20 degrees in diameter. The most widely accepted definition, from the ICD-10-AM, defines blindness as having visual acuity worse than 20/400 (3/60). Generally, best-corrected visual acuity (that is, vision obtained when using glasses or contact lenses) is used to measure the severity of visual impairment. Different countries, and even different organisations within the same country, adopt varying definitions. There is no universally accepted measurement for ‘legally blind’. Therefore, it’s possible to have 20/20 vision whilst still requiring glasses for near work. Presbyopia is a normal condition that occurs with age and generally begins in your mid-to-late forties. Those with above-average distance vision (better than 20/20 or 6/6) may also have trouble seeing close objects clearly (presbyopia). Visual acuity refers to the sharpness of images and doesn’t take into account depth perception, colour vision, or the ability to focus on moving objects or read under different lighting conditions. However, individual visual acuity can actually be better than this! For example, a person with 20/15 (6/4) vision can, at 20 feet (6 metres), read what the average person can only read when 15 feet (4 metres) away. Is 20/20 vision classed as perfect vision?Ģ0/20 (or 6/6) vision is a term used to indicate normal visual acuity. In other words, 20/40 vision means you cannot see as well as someone with 20/20 vision. 40 feet or 12 metres away from the eye chart). In contrast, 20/40 (or 6/12) vision means that a patient who is 20 feet (6 metres) away from a standard eye chart can only read the same-sized letters that someone with 20/20 vision can read from further away (i.e. Simply put, 20/20 means ‘normal’ distance vision. The results are then expressed as a fraction, with the patient’s distance on top and the average person’s distance on the bottom (e.g. This outcome can then be compared to the distance from which the average person reads the same line of letters. The distance the patient was sitting from the eye chart will be noted against the smallest line they were able to read. The examiner will ask the patient to start by reading the letters, working down the chart from larger to smaller letter size until they can no longer correctly read the text. However, a mirror on the wall is often used as examination rooms are not usually this long. These charts check how clear your eyesight is – this is called visual acuity.ĭuring an eye exam, the patient will sit a specified distance (usually 20 feet or 6 metres) from the eye chart. Uncorrected refractive errors (short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia)ĭistance vision impairment is most commonly measured using a Snellen eye chart.Leading causes of vision impairment globally 1 1, 2 Visual impairment can significantly impact a person’s quality of life by affecting daily activities, reducing independence and increasing the risk of falls and injury. Nearly 800,000 Australians live with significant vision impairment or blindness, with 90% of these avoidable or preventable cases. However, even in Australia, people are generally more familiar with the term 20/20! This means that an Australian optometrist or ophthalmologist will record your distance vision in metres, rather than feet. Some countries like America continue to use the imperial system. Australia used to follow the imperial system but switched to the metric system last century like many other countries. The only difference is that 6/6 is a metric measurement (a test distance of 6 metres) and 20/20 is an imperial measurement (a test distance of 20 feet, which is the same as 6 metres). Did you know 6/6 vision is equivalent to 20/20 vision?

Define 2020 vision