FMCSA Announces 22 Vision Requirement Waivers

Twenty-two drivers with vision impairments in one eye will be allowed to operate commercial trucks across state lines, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Aug. 8.

The agency indicated the drivers demonstrated an ability to properly driver the vehicles and met requisite medical standards. The exemptions were granted April 28 and will expire two years from that date.

“We believe that the applicants' intrastate driving experience and history provide an adequate basis for predicting their ability to drive safely in interstate commerce,” FMCSA wrote in the Federal Register.

In a separate notice in the Federal Register, the agency indicated 11 drivers are seeking exemptions from federal vision requirements to be allowed to operate trucks across state lines. The public is asked to comment on the applications by Sept. 7. The exemptions will be awarded the following day, FMCSA noted.

In both instances, the truck drivers have conditions ranging from retinal detachment to amblyopia.