PADUCAH — Drivers in Kentucky looking to renew their licenses will be required to pass a mandatory visual acuity screening starting Jan. 1, 2025.
The required exam is part of House Bill 439, a three-year-old bill that lawmakers passed to improve roadway safety. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet broke the news on Sept. 19. This is the first time the state has required drivers to take an eye exam regularly for license renewals.
Surrounding states like Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana already have these measures in place.
Dr. Barbara Bowers with Innovative Ophthalmology in Paducah said visual acuity measures how well a person can see and is tested on a visual acuity chart. While that is a huge component of the required exam, Bowers said it’s also based on visual field or peripheral, which is how far you see to the sides and above…