Possible life changing eye surgery

[stevec]

Due to a recurrent basal cell carcinoma there is a possibility that I will lose my left eye later this year. This will obviously impact on our motorhoming lifestyle if not remove it entirely! I am aware that it is possible to drive with one eye on a B license as long as the remaining one meets certain criteria. I'm not so sure about the C1 category though. The DVLA website does not make it very clear. They mention filling in a form and sending it to them. Other places I can conclude that one eyed driving is not legal for the C1 class. Has anyone been in this position?

The ironic thing is that I waited 8 months to get my C1 license (I'm 70) and now it looks like I can't use it!

Are there any Funsters here who have been in this position?

Edit: Also what is the situation if driving abroad (France and Germany for instance)?

 

[The Wino]

Sorry to hear your situation. In the UK you are allowed to drive with sight just in one eye once adapted but there is no indication of how long that might be. If you are right eye dominant which is more likely you will at least adapt to the loss of the left eye more quickly . I think as long as you meet the requirements to drive in our country your licence is valid in others with reciprocal agreements although I'm not certain that is the case.
I would encourage anyone with a lesion on their eyelids or around the eye that scabs over then sheds and gradually gets larger particularly if it has a slightly raised margin to ask their GP or optometrist for an opinion.

 

[scotzsue]

We had a lorry driver with one eye, so it must have been legal at that point, he had a licence, not a class 1 though.

 

[68c]

I doubt if you can keep your C1 with only one good eye. By my late fifties Glaucoma had damaged my right eye so I lost the upper part of vision in that eye. The eye hospital reported my problem to the DVSA, they took away my C1. I was restricted to a one year licence for a year with a mandatory field of vision test. Now on a rolling three year licence with the vision test.

 

[Edenside]

I believe if you had a HGV licence through grandfather rights with one eye you could still retain C1 at 70 after filling in the necessary forms etc but I don’t think it applies to drivers loosing sight in one eye later in life.
I think the reasoning is when new rules came out regarding HGV licences, not sure what year but possibly in the 70’s they did not want to take licences off working drivers with one eye but no further licences would be given

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[68c]

I took my car test in 1980, so had grandfather C1. Now just AM, A, B1,B,BE. Next vision test August this year, hopefully not a problem.

 

[Edenside]

When I quoted grandfather rights I was referring to HGV licences not C1. When the rules changed you did not inherit the right to drive a HGV with sight in one eye you had to prove that you were already safely driving a HGV vehicle and DVLA were already aware of your situation.

 

[stevewagner]

My father lost his right eye when he was 14. He had a PSV and an HGV licence. The HGV he got when he did his national service in the army.

 

[stevec]

Thanks for the replies. We currently have a Carthago rated at 4500kg. We shall be looking to downsize both in weight and width! Assuming I adapt ok.

 

[paul2]

I lost the sight in my left eye in 1973 in 1982 work wanted me to do HGV I did not pass the medical, I did have C1 till 70rs old but I never tried to keep it. (I've always made sure my vans were 3500kgs just in case they changed their minds about the C1)

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Hedgewitch]

Really sorry to read you are in this position and wish you all the best.