Eye Test for Colour-Blind Drivers: The Special Rules

Introduction

Eye test for colour-blind drivers is a topic that causes a lot of worry, because many people fear that colour blindness means they cannot get a driving licence at all. That is not true. In Germany, colour blindness, or colour vision deficiency, does not stop you from getting a car driving licence, because the driving licence eye test for car drivers does not include a colour vision test. Eye test for colour-blind drivers does matter, though, for lorry and bus licences, and for some jobs, and it is worth knowing the special rules before you apply, so that you are not caught by surprise and you know what to do if you fail.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers starts with an explanation of what colour blindness is. About 8 in 100 men and about 1 in 200 women have a red-green colour vision deficiency, so it is common, and most people who have it do not know until they take a test. Colour blindness means that the eye cannot tell some colours apart, usually red and green, or blue and yellow, and it is usually inherited. It is not a disease, and it cannot be cured, but it can be managed, and most colour-blind drivers drive safely every day, because the important information on the road is shown by position and brightness, not only by colour.

In this article, you will learn what the eye test for colour-blind drivers looks like in Germany, which licence classes require a colour test and which do not, what happens if you fail the Ishihara test, how a specialist report can help, and what you can do to pass the test. You will also find practical advice on how to prepare, on which licences you can get without problems, and on the special rules for professional drivers, for whom the colour test is part of the medical examination. By the end, you will know exactly what a colour vision deficiency means for your driving licence.

The Ishihara Colour Test

Eye test for colour-blind drivers is usually the Ishihara test, which is a set of plates, each with a circle of coloured dots. A number, or a line, is hidden inside the dots, and you read out the number you can see. People with normal colour vision see the numbers easily, and people with a red-green deficiency see different numbers, or no numbers at all. The test is quick, it takes about five minutes, and it is done in good light, usually daylight, or a lamp with the same colour, because the test is not reliable in poor light.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers also includes other tests, such as the Farnsworth test, where you are asked to sort coloured caps in order, and the lantern test, which is used by some examiners, where coloured lights are shown and you have to name the colour of each light. The lantern test is closer to real driving, because traffic lights are shown by their position as well as by their colour, and most colour-blind drivers can tell a red traffic light from a green one by its position and brightness. Eye test for colour-blind drivers should always be done with an experienced examiner, because a test done in bad light or with a damaged book can give a wrong result.

Do Car Drivers Need a Colour Test?

Eye test for colour-blind drivers for a car licence, class B, is not required in Germany, because the standard Sehtest for cars is only a test of visual acuity, the visual field, and binocular vision, and it does not test colour vision. That means a colour-blind person can take the standard eye test at an optician, pass it, and apply for a car licence without a colour test, and the certificate will not mention colour vision. Eye test for colour-blind drivers should not stop you from applying for a car licence, and about 8 in 100 men who have a car licence have a colour vision deficiency, and they drive safely.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers for a lorry or bus licence, class C or D, and for a C1 or D1 licence, does include a colour vision test, because professional drivers need to read coloured signals, signals on a dashboard, and road signs that use colour. The medical examination for Group 2 drivers includes a colour test, usually the Ishihara test, and if the result is unclear, a more detailed test, such as the anomaloscope test, can be done. Eye test for colour-blind drivers is part of the medical examination, not something to be feared, and most drivers with a mild deficiency can still get their licence.

The Class C1 and Group 2 Rules

Eye test for colour-blind drivers for class C1, D1, C, and D licences follows the rules for Group 2 drivers in the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, Anlage 6. The colour test is done by a doctor, usually an occupational health doctor or an ophthalmologist, as part of the medical examination. A driver with a severe colour vision deficiency may be issued a licence with restrictions, for example a licence that does not allow night driving, or a licence that does not allow public transport, or the licence may be refused if the deficiency is severe enough to make driving unsafe. In practice, most drivers with a mild red-green deficiency still get their licence, and many do not know they have a deficiency until the test.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers is also part of the examination for taxi and bus drivers, and for driving instructors. If you are applying for a class B licence and you want to become a driving instructor, the colour test will be part of the medical examination for the instructor licence. Bring your glasses, and ask the doctor to explain the result, because a result that says you are colour-blind is not a reason to give up, and a second test with a specialist can often give a different result, especially if the first test was done in poor light.

What Happens If You Fail the Colour Test

Eye test for colour-blind drivers can be failed, and the first thing to do is to take another test with a different method, because the Ishihara test is a screening test, and it can be wrong. The Farnsworth test and the anomaloscope test are more detailed, and they are the tests that a specialist uses to measure how severe the deficiency is. A mild deficiency, where you can see most colours, is different from a severe one, where you cannot see red and green at all, and the licence office needs to know how severe it is.

The eye test for a driving licence page on this site explains the standard test for a car licence, which does not include a colour test, and the eye test failed: what to do now page on this site explains what to do if you fail an eye test. If you fail the colour test, do not apply for a Group 2 licence until you have a second opinion, because a specialist report that explains the type and severity of your deficiency can help the licence office to decide.

Practical Tips for Colour-Blind Drivers

Eye test for colour-blind drivers has one lesson that all colour-blind drivers should know: the road is designed so that colour is not the only signal. Traffic lights are arranged with red at the top and green at the bottom, road signs use shapes and text, and the dashboard uses symbols as well as colours. A colour-blind driver can learn the position of the light, the shape of the sign, and the brightness of the signal. For that reason, most colour-blind drivers drive safely every day, and studies show that they do not have more accidents than other drivers.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers can also be helped by technology. Some navigation systems and apps show traffic lights as text, and some cars have a setting that changes the colour of the display. Glasses with a special filter can help some colour-blind people to tell red and green apart, but they are not accepted as proof of colour vision for a driving licence, and you should not rely on them for the test. Eye test for colour-blind drivers should be taken without a filter, because the examiner needs to see your true colour vision.

Colour Vision and Your Job: More Than a Driving Licence

Eye test for colour-blind drivers matters beyond the driving licence, because colour vision is a requirement for some jobs, and a colour vision deficiency can affect your choice of work. Pilots, train drivers, police officers, electricians, and people who work with wires and signals all need to pass a colour vision test, and the standard for those jobs is often stricter than the standard for a car licence. Eye test for colour-blind drivers is done for a driving licence with the Ishihara test, and for a professional job it may be done with an anomaloscope, which measures how severe the deficiency is, and whether it makes the job unsafe.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers should be taken seriously if you are choosing a career, because a young person who wants to become a pilot or a train driver will be tested for colour vision early, and it is better to know the result before you start training. Eye test for colour-blind drivers is not a reason to give up on a career, because many jobs do not need perfect colour vision, and a mild red-green deficiency is common, and it does not stop most people from doing their work. Talk to your doctor, ask for a detailed test, and ask the employer or the training provider what the colour vision requirement is.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers also matters for driving at night, because at night the road is lit by lights of different colours, and a colour-blind driver must rely on the position and brightness of the lights, not only on their colour. Eye test for colour-blind drivers is a reminder that traffic lights are arranged with red at the top and green at the bottom, and that road signs use shapes and text, so that a driver who cannot see the colour can still read the road. Most colour-blind drivers drive safely at night, once they know to pay attention to the position of the light, and to keep their windscreen clean, so that the glare is reduced.

Eye test for colour-blind drivers is also useful for children, because a child with a colour vision deficiency often does not know, and the first sign is a difficulty with coloured pens at school, or a difficulty with traffic lights. Eye test for colour-blind drivers for a child can be done by an ophthalmologist, and it is worth doing before the child starts learning to drive, so that the teenager knows what to expect at the driving licence medical examination. Eye test for colour-blind drivers is a simple test, and it is a useful check, not only for the licence, but for the child’s career and for their safety on the road.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a colour-blind person get a car driving licence in Germany?
Yes. Eye test for colour-blind drivers does not include a colour test for a car licence, class B, because the standard test only checks visual acuity, visual field, and binocular vision. A colour-blind person can pass the test and get a car licence without problems.

What is the Ishihara test?
Eye test for colour-blind drivers usually starts with the Ishihara test, which is a set of plates, each with a number hidden in coloured dots. People with normal colour vision see the numbers easily, and people with a red-green deficiency see different numbers, or no numbers at all.

Can I fail the colour test for a lorry licence?
Yes, the colour test is part of the medical examination for class C and D licences, and a severe deficiency can lead to a restricted licence or a refusal. A mild deficiency usually does not stop you, and a second, more detailed test can confirm that your colour vision is good enough.

Do colour-blind drivers have more accidents?
No, studies show that colour-blind drivers do not have more accidents than other drivers, because the road is designed so that colour is not the only signal. Traffic lights are arranged by position, and road signs use shapes and text.

Can I use special glasses for the colour test?
No. Glasses with a colour filter can help some colour-blind people to see red and green better, but they are not accepted as proof of colour vision for a driving licence, and you should not rely on them for the eye test.

For the official legal text behind the rules in this article, see the German driving licence regulation (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung).

Eye test for colour-blind drivers uses the Ishihara test and special rules for each class. Eye test for colour-blind drivers is not a problem for a car licence, and it is a test for lorry and bus licences. Eye test for colour-blind drivers should be checked by a specialist if you fail.

Conclusion

Eye test for colour-blind drivers should not stop you from driving. In Germany, a colour vision deficiency does not stop you from getting a car driving licence, class B, because the standard Sehtest does not include a colour test. For a lorry or bus licence, class C or D, the colour test is part of the medical examination, and most drivers with a mild deficiency still get their licence, often with a specialist report. If you fail the Ishihara test, ask for a second test with a different method, talk to an ophthalmologist, and do not give up. With the right preparation, good light, and an experienced examiner, you can show that your colour vision is good enough to drive safely, and you can enjoy the freedom of driving in Germany.