Nearly 36,000 NYS drivers' licenses suspended for failing to take eye test
The exterior of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles office in Garden City in 2019. Credit: Howard Schnapp
ALBANY — One of the last vestiges of temporary measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic has left 35,833 drivers with suspended licenses because they didn’t pass a simple eye test, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
These drivers can still take and pass vision tests through the DMV or an optometrist to lift the suspension. But after nearly two years of urging these drivers to comply in emails, letters and website alerts, the state has little else it can do, said Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Walt McClure.
The DMV can’t take any other action to get these drivers’ vision tested, such as denying a vehicle registration or other motor vehicle service.
That leaves enforcement to use police stops if drivers drive with suspended licenses. A conviction of driving on a suspended license can result in a $500 fine plus other fees and a 30-day jail sentence or probation. The charges could rise to a misdemeanor or felony if a driver with a suspended license is also charged with crimes such as driving while intoxicated.
WHAT TO KNOW
- A temporary measure taken during the COVID-19 pandemic has left nearly 36,000 drivers with suspended licenses because they didn’t pass the required eye test.
- Drivers whose licenses were due to expire between March 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021, were allowed to defer the test and had a year from the date of renewal to take it. DMV said 45,103 didn’t, and their licenses were suspended.
- Since then, thousands have complied, but 35,833 drivers have not. These drivers can still take and pass the tests through the DMV or an optometrist to lift the suspension.
“It is central to what we do at DMV to ensure that New York’s roads are safe for all drivers, which means that people have to show that they have an appropriate level of visual acuity to be able to operate a motor vehicle,” McClure said. “It is also key to ensuring safety that drivers be properly licensed.”
Research has long backed up the urgency of passing vision tests as a prerequisite for driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes drivers must constantly and accurately scan the road ahead, behind and beside them; frequently switch lanes; and avoid hazards, often with little distance to do so. Poor vision not corrected by lenses can make it difficult to keep to a safe path on a curve and lead to slower deceleration to avoid a crash or a stop light or sign, the studies show.
In addition, highway signs are designed to be read by drivers with at least 20/30 vision, and poorer vision could lead to bad decisions and slower reaction time when approaching lane changes and exits.
The vision test issue dates to 2021, the height of the pandemic, when the state temporarily waived the need to take a vision test to renew driver’s licenses. That measure was intended to avoid crowds at DMV offices, many of which had reduced services to curtail the spread of the virus. This relief was for drivers whose licenses were due to expire between March 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021.
If drivers did defer, they had one year from the date of renewal to get their vision tested through DMV or by an optometrist. The majority of the 150,000 who deferred their vision test complied.
For those who didn’t, the DMV set the Dec. 1, 2023, deadline to comply or face license suspension. The DMV said 45,103 didn’t, and their licenses were suspended. Since then, thousands complied, but there are still the 35,833 drivers as of Friday who have suspended licenses.
John Corlett, vice president of public and government affairs at the AAA Northeast auto club, applauded the efforts by DMV to warn drivers of the Dec. 1 deadline, but had no comment on the safety concern created by those who failed to comply.
McClure said some of those drivers who still haven’t complied may have moved out of state, died or stopped driving. The greatest concern, he said, is about those who continue to drive without a vision test. The DMV test can be a way in which many people, and especially older drivers, first learn about a vision problem.
“We continue to urge those who have not satisfied the vision test requirement to do so right away.” McClure said.
Any test taken at a DMV office may now require up to five business days for the test result to be processed, according to the department. Drivers also may take a vision test from a health care provider on the state’s approved-provider registry, who can send the results to the DMV. The state has a lookup portal to find approved providers.
A driver also may get a test from a provider not included in the DMV registry. In these cases, the driver and provider of the vision test must complete a Vision Test Report, form MV619, which is available on the DMV website. The driver must then send the completed form to the DMV by mail to the License Production Bureau in Albany or electronically through the website.
A separate process for holders of commercial driver’s licenses is detailed online.
Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.
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