To drive a car in the UK you must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres, have visual acuity of at least 6/12 on the Snellen scale using both eyes together, and have an adequate field of vision. Glasses or contact lenses may be worn to meet the standard. Cataracts commonly push drivers below this threshold — and often cause disabling night-time glare well before that point. Cataract surgery restores vision above the legal standard in the great majority of cases, and most patients are back to driving within about a week of surgery once their surgeon confirms it is safe.
The DVLA eyesight standard for car drivers
For a standard car or motorcycle licence — what the DVLA calls a Group 1 licence — there are three requirements you must meet at all times while driving:
- The number plate test. You must be able to read a current-style number plate from 20 metres, wearing glasses or contact lenses if you normally do.
- Visual acuity. Your vision must be at least 6/12 on the Snellen scale, measured with both eyes open, or in the one functioning eye if you have sight in only one eye. Correction with glasses or lenses is allowed.
- Field of vision. You must have an adequate field of vision — your optician or ophthalmologist can assess this formally where there is any doubt.
These are legal minimums, not comfort thresholds. Plenty of drivers technically pass the number plate test while finding night driving genuinely unsafe because of glare scatter from a cataract. If oncoming headlights now produce starbursts or halos, that is a clinical sign worth acting on regardless of whether you still meet the letter of the standard.
Struggling with night-time glare? A cataract assessment measures your acuity, checks for lens opacity and tells you exactly where you stand against the DVLA standard.
Book a cataract assessmentWhen you must tell the DVLA about cataracts
Having a cataract does not automatically mean you must notify the DVLA. The trigger is whether it affects your ability to meet the standard.
- You must notify DVLA if you cannot meet the eyesight standard, or if a doctor or optometrist has told you that you should not drive.
- You must notify DVLA if a condition affects both eyes, or the remaining eye where you have sight in only one.
- You do not need to notify a mild cataract that has not yet taken you below the standard — but you must stop driving as soon as it does.
Driving when you cannot meet the eyesight standard is a criminal offence. You can be fined up to £1,000, and if you are involved in a collision you may face prosecution. Insurance cover can also be affected. If you are unsure, the practical step is an eye examination that documents your acuity, rather than guessing.
Our companion guide covers the timing questions in detail: can I drive after cataract surgery?
Lorry, bus and coach drivers (Group 2)
If you hold a Group 2 licence for lorries or buses, the standard is considerably stricter and the notification rules are tighter:
- Visual acuity of at least 6/7.5 in the better eye and at least 6/60 in the other eye, with correction permitted
- Uncorrected acuity of at least 3/60 in each eye
- A normal binocular field of vision, formally assessed
- You must notify the DVLA if you develop a cataract, even if you currently still meet the standard
For professional drivers this is a livelihood issue, and waiting is rarely the right answer. Prompt private assessment and treatment — typically one to six weeks from consultation to surgery — is often the difference between a short break and months off the road.
How cataract surgery restores your driving vision
Cataract surgery replaces the clouded natural lens with a clear intraocular lens (IOL). It is a 15–25 minute day-case procedure under local anaesthetic drops. Over 95% of patients achieve improved vision, and for drivers the gains are usually dramatic: glare and halos resolve along with the lens opacity that caused them, and colour contrast returns.
Lens choice matters for drivers. A monofocal IOL gives excellent, crisp distance vision — the priority for driving — with reading glasses needed for close work. An EDOF lens adds usable intermediate vision, which covers the dashboard and satnav as well as the road. Multifocal and trifocal lenses give the widest range but carry a somewhat higher chance of night-time halos during the adaptation period, which is worth discussing candidly with your surgeon if you do a lot of night driving.
Compare the options in our guides to monofocal vs multifocal lenses and the full range of implant lenses. Cataract surgery costs from £2,900 per eye all-inclusive — see cataract surgery prices.
When you can drive again after surgery
There is no fixed legal period. The rule is simply that you must not drive until you can meet the eyesight standard again and your surgeon has confirmed it is safe to do so. In practice:
Day of surgery
Do not drive. Vision is hazy and your pupil is still dilated. Arrange a lift home.
Days 1–3
Vision clears noticeably. Some patients already meet the standard, but confirm at your review before driving.
Week 1 review
Your surgeon checks acuity and confirms whether you meet the standard. Most car drivers resume at this point.
Weeks 2–4
Second eye treated if needed. Night vision continues to improve as the eye settles.
Weeks 4–6
Final refraction and any new glasses prescription. Group 2 drivers are usually formally reassessed here.
If you notified the DVLA before surgery because you could not meet the standard, you will need to satisfy them that your vision has been restored before driving again. Your surgeon can provide the clinical evidence.
For the wider recovery picture, see recovery after eye surgery and how quickly you can have private cataract surgery.