Driving with Low Vision: What You Should Know About Bioptic Lenses

For many people, losing vision can feel like losing independence—especially when driving is an important part of everyday life. The good news is that low vision does not always mean you have to stop driving.

Some people with low vision may be candidates for bioptic lenses, specialized glasses that include a small telescope to provide magnification for seeing things at a distance, such as road signs, traffic signals, or other important details. However, successfully driving with bioptics takes more than simply getting the lenses. Practice, occupational therapy, and specialized behind-the-wheel training are important parts of the process.

What Are Bioptic Lenses?

Bioptic lenses have a small telescope mounted above the regular lens. Most of the time, the driver looks through the regular lens. The telescope is used briefly when additional magnification is needed.

A driver might use the telescope to:

• Read a distant road sign

• Identify a traffic signal

• Locate a street sign

• See important details farther down the road

The telescope is not intended to replace the driver’s normal vision. Instead, it provides a magnified view for brief, targeted observations. Drivers must learn to alternate appropriately between their normal view and the magnified view while maintaining awareness of the roadway. This is a skill that takes practice.

What Are the Colorado Requirements?

In Colorado, 20/40 visual acuity is a requirement for driving, with or without corrective lenses, in either eye. For drivers using bioptic lenses, specific requirements apply regarding the vision provided by the bioptic telescope.

The Colorado DMV guidelines include a total combined horizontal field of vision of at least 120 degrees (or at least 60 degrees in the remaining eye for someone who is blind in one eye) and a bioptic recommendation that when best visual acuity through the carrier lenses is worse than 20/100, the bioptic telescope must correct visual acuity to at least 20/40.

Because individual circumstances can vary, anyone considering bioptic driving should discuss their vision with their eye-care provider and confirm current licensing requirements with the Colorado DMV.

Practice Before You Drive

One of the biggest misconceptions about bioptic driving is that once the lenses are prescribed, a driver can simply get in the car and begin driving.

In reality, someone who is new to bioptic lenses should practice using them before beginning behind-the-wheel training.

An occupational therapist or low vision specialist can help you become comfortable with:

• Finding the telescope quickly

• Looking through the telescope and returning to your regular view

• Identifying objects at different distances

• Using the telescope for brief observations

• Scanning your environment while using the bioptic

The goal is to make these skills more natural before you begin driving.

Why Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapists understand how vision affects everyday activities, including driving. They can help you develop strategies for using your vision efficiently and safely.

For a new bioptic user, occupational therapy can help bridge the gap between being able to see something through the telescope and being able to use that information effectively while driving.

Once you are comfortable with the basic skills, a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist can help you apply them to the driving environment.

Behind-the-Wheel Training

At Fitness to Drive, behind-the-wheel training is individualized to each driver’s abilities and goals.

Training may begin in a lower-traffic environment and gradually progress to more challenging situations. Drivers practice using their bioptics while managing lane position, intersections, traffic, signs, pedestrians, and other roadway information.

The goal is not simply to determine whether you can see through the telescope. It is to determine whether you can safely integrate the bioptic into the complex task of driving.

You Don’t Have to Navigate Low Vision Alone

Colorado has resources available to help people with low vision.

The Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) provides services for individuals who are blind or have low vision. Depending on eligibility, services may include rehabilitation counseling, assistive technology, rehabilitation engineering, and other services designed to support independence.

Colorado’s Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB) Program provides independent living services to eligible Coloradans age 55 and older who are blind or visually impaired. Services can include functional vision assessments, assistive technology, orientation and mobility training, daily living skills training, and other supports.

iSight Connections is another valuable Colorado resource for individuals living with vision loss and their families and caregivers. Based in Colorado Springs, this nonprofit organization helps people who are blind or have low vision develop the skills, confidence, and connections they need to live more independently. Through weekly classes and programs, iSight Connections provides opportunities to learn, connect with others, and navigate everyday activities with greater confidence. These types of supports can be especially valuable for individuals adjusting to changes in vision and exploring new ways to remain active and engaged in their communities.

The state’s Howard Fund is another potential resource. It can provide funding for training and equipment that help Coloradans who are blind or have low vision increase their independence. Eligible expenses can include certain optical devices, assistive technology, and training-related needs.

A low vision optometrist or ophthalmologist can also help determine whether bioptic lenses or other low vision strategies may be appropriate. For individuals who are concerned about how vision changes may affect driving, an occupational therapy driving evaluation can provide additional information about driving abilities, adaptations, and community mobility options.

The goal isn’t to navigate low vision alone—it’s to find the right resources, strategies, and support to help you remain as independent and engaged as possible.

Low Vision Doesn’t Always Mean Giving Up Driving

If you or a loved one has experienced vision loss, don’t assume that driving is automatically off the table. For some people, bioptic lenses combined with low vision rehabilitation, occupational therapy, practice, and specialized driver training may provide an opportunity to continue driving.

If you are considering bioptic driving, Fitness to Drive can help you understand the process and determine whether a driver rehabilitation evaluation or training may be appropriate. Contact us to learn more.

This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for an individualized medical, vision, or driver rehabilitation evaluation. Colorado driving requirements and DMV procedures may change.