OK, so this is a great story on how the DMV are really lame, and how
easy it is to cheat them and drive when it otherwise should be
illegal.  Here goes…

I was born a high hyperope, and have worn +8D glasses since before I
can remember. In New York, where I grew up, the DMV required not only
good visual acuity, but also good visual fields. With the right
glasses was able to pass the vision exam and drove fairly unencumbered
for a number of years. In 1987, I moved to California for grad school,
and so needed to get a CA driver’s license. At the DMV, I took my
exam, and when asked if I needed glasses or contacts (I was wearing
+8D bifocals by that time, which should have been pretty obvious to
the person asking the question) I responded that I did not need
glasses and had perfect vision. So imagine my surprise when I got my
CA drivers license and it did not list a restriction requiring
glasses. Guess what? I can’t see without glasses, but I was very glad
not to have to wear them when I went on dates. Not!

Flash forward ten years, and I have developed type II diabetes,
despite being very trim and athletic. My vision was starting to suffer
and  I had a hard time driving at night and so stopped A few years
later I found out I had cataracts and needed to have them removed, and
so I did. Unfortunately they were unable to place and IOL and so I
needed +20D bifocals to see anything. My DMV renewal came about a year
after the surgery, and so when the form asked if there was any change
in my vision, I put down that I had cataract surgery and could not see
much without glasses.

I got my renewed driver’s license in the mail, and was very pleasantly
surprised to see that there was still no glasses restriction on it.
Unfortunately I began to develop diabetic retinopathy and my vision
dropped below the legal limit to drive, so guess what? I was too blind
to drive! Not to worry, since I had five years until the renewal. When
it came time, I failed the eye exam and was given a vision form to
take to my eye doc to fill out. After being really bummed (well, not
too bummed since I knew I was going blind anyway) I realized that
there was a very easy way to get around this: I would just have a
friend take the form to the eye doc, make up some bogus story as to
why the DMV wanted it, and get it signed off. He did this, and I
dutifully filled in my name and information and sent in the form to
get my license renewed.

Funny thing, but I decided to keep the DMV informed about my
deteriorating vision as it went from 20/200 to 20/800 to 20/1200. Each
time I called, they seemed irritated and just asked me to send in the
paperwork. One particularly conscientious girl did in fact revoke my
license for a while (and at 20/1200 I guess she should have). Not to
worry, though, I just had my buddy go get another eye exam and I sent
in the form. To my surprise, they asked me to come in for an eye exam,
so I sent my buddy to take it for me. He passed (not even wearing
glasses!) and even did the written and road test for me. Great! I
still have a valid driver’s license at 20/1200, even if they only gave
me a one year limited term license.

Shortly thereafter, I have some laser surgery to clear up some retinal
bleeds—still with a valid driver’s license—and I called to report that
my vision was now 20/800, meaning I could see some shapes and forms. I
must have called four or five times and irritated a fair number of
people at the driver’s safety office before someone took action and I
received a new request for the vision report to be sent in. My buddy
again to the rescue, this time at an ophthalmologist claiming that
during a routine eye exam his IOP was elevated (which it was not). He
had the form in hand, without my name or information on it, which she
filled out stating he (I) had 20/15 vision and full visual fields. I
added my name and information on the top of the form and sent it in,
and got my license renewed for another couple of years!

Well, if you have read this far it is fair to say that I have not
driven for many years now—long before the DMV would have taken it
away. But given how lax the DMV was is dealing with so many of these
issues I can’t help but playing this game with them to see how easy it
is to keep one’s driver’s license if one is really determined. At some
point I started calling them monthly to report how bad my vision is in
excruciating detail, only to be told that my license is still valid
until the expiration date. I am now almost completely blind save for
some ability to see shapes and forms in broad daylight, yet I am still
allowed to drive in California (and don’t worry, I don’t even think of
driving). I think next time I need to go into the DMV office I will
have my cane and guide dog with me and see if they will give me a
driving test!

It makes me shudder to think of those who are less scrupulous who are
still on the road driving despite being visually impaired.