Driving with a Bioptic Telescope
Dr. Eric Barry
Mountain Eye Care
535 Upper Wellington St., Hamilton, ON L9A3P7
Tel: 905-389-4201
Email: staff@mountaineyecare.net
In Ontario, all drivers must meet minimum vision standards to drive, including a visual acuity of 20/50 and a visual field of 120 degrees of continuous vision. In January 2023, legislation was changed to allow individuals who meet the visual field standard but do not meet the visual acuity standard to obtain a special driver’s license. These individuals must demonstrate they can safely drive with the use of a tool called a bioptic telescope.
What is a bioptic telescope?
A bioptic telescope is a pair of prescription glasses with a magnifying telescope mounted above one or both lenses. Tilting your head down and looking up allows you to look through the telescope to see finer details like street signs and traffic lights.
Is it safe to drive with a bioptic telescope?
Yes! Though bioptic driving is new in Ontario, the first bioptic driver’s licence was issued in California in 1971. Now 45 U.S. states, as well as the Province of Quebec allow driving with a bioptic telescope. Studies in North America show drivers who need a bioptic telescope had a similar or marginally higher collision rate per kilometre driven compared to drivers who didn’t need a telescope (1,2). Studies also show that there is no significant correlation between those with reduced visual acuity and the incidence of collisions or near collisions (3).
Am I a good candidate to drive with a bioptic telescope?
You may be a good candidate if you have an eye disease that decreases central vision but preserves peripheral vision, including:
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Stargardt’s macular dystrophy
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Myopic degeneration
- Ocular albinism
- Keratoconus
- Retinal coloboma
- Nystagmus
The specific visual standards for driving with a bioptic telescope in Ontario include:
- 120 degrees of continuous horizontal and 30 degrees of vertical peripheral vision
- Best corrected visual acuity no worse than 20/160 with both eyes open
- 20/50 or better visual acuity with the use of a bioptic telescope with 4x or lower power
- Contrast sensitivity greater than 1.00 log units
How do I qualify to drive with a Bioptic telescope?
There are three mandatory steps to qualify:
- Low Vision Assessment Screening and Bioptic Telescope Eligibility Testing: Mountain Eye Care provides all of the testing required to determine if you meet the specific visual standards listed above. If they are met, we are also equipped to fit and order the telescope for you.
- In-office training: Patients who receive bioptic telescopes at Mountain Eye Care will have at least three in-office training sessions over a three month period with Dr. Barry and trained low vision assistants. This training prepares you to use the device in dynamic visual environments before getting behind the wheel of a car.
- Functional training and testing: After completing steps 1 and 2, Dr. Barry will send a report to the Ministry of Transportation requesting that you be allowed to proceed to a functional testing centre for in-office and in-car testing with an occupational therapist. Based on the results, the occupational therapist will recommend that the Ministry grants a special licence to you or that a certain number of in-car driving lessons are required before retesting. New drivers can expect to have as many as 10 lessons, whereas previous drivers typically need about three lessons.
What is the cost?
You should expect to spend between $4000 and $6000 for the bioptic telescope and the testing and training required to get a driver’s licence, including:
Low Vision Assessment Screening: $150
Bioptic Telescope Eligibility Testing: $300
Bioptic telescope and in-office training: ~$2500 to ~$3500. For eligible individuals, a portion of this cost can be funded through the Ministry of Health’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP).The ADP will cover up to $1000 or $1333.33 for individuals on ODSP. Mountain Eye Care is an ADP authorized vendor.
Functional training and testing: ~$1000 to ~$3000, depending on the number of in-car lessons required.
References
(1)Zhou AM, Flom RE, Raasch TW, Segerstrom EE, Dougherty BE. Vision, Driving Exposure, and Collisions in Bioptic Drivers. Optom Vis Sci. 2022 Feb 1;99(2):121-126. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001836. PMID: 34889860; PMCID: PMC8816860.
(2)Owsley C. Driving with bioptic telescopes: organizing a research agenda. Optom Vis Sci. 2012 Sep;89(9):1249-56. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0b013e3182678dc8. PMID: 22863791; PMCID: PMC3471243.
(3)Hashemi H, Nabovati P, Yekta A, Borojerdi A, Fallahkohan H, Rezvan F, Khabazkhoob M. Abnormal Visual Function: An Under-recognized Risk Factor of Road Traffic Injuries. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2022 Nov 29;17(4):529-535. doi: 10.18502/jovr.v17i4.12306. PMID: 36620715; PMCID: PMC9806314.
