The RSA has now issued its guidance on their latest requirements for eye testing for licencing purposes, and they have basically reverted to the old standards, at least for young people who only require a Class 1 (Standard non-commercial) licence
The Road Safety Authority wrote to us in December 2010, advising us of new standards for driving sight tests. There were many issues with their new standards which meant that there had to be a long consultation process, but this now seems to have been resolved.
For the last two years, optometrists have done their best to conduct the driving sight tests as close to the RSA’s requirements as possible. In contrast many GPs, following their own professional body’s advice, continued to conduct the driving sight tests to the older standards.
Where there is any reason to doubt a person’s fitness to drive, due to age, cataracts, glaucoma or any other known condition, more tests will probably still need to be done.
At least for the young, this means that driving sight test will be less expensive, as they are much quicker to complete than before.