Prescription sunglasses for Drivers

[Fozzzy]

Just wondered if any drivers on here have experience of using prescription sunglasses, specifically from Specsavers, and wether they needed to prove they met the requirements to their TOC.
I spoke to my local Specsavers branch but the girl couldn’t really tell me if they met the CAT 2 requirement

 

[PudseyBearHST]

I believe the answer is technically no to using your own sun glasses. Some companies have sunglasses that they issue out and they’ll issue sunglasses clips that can attach on to those who wear glasses. Having said that, it’s not something that in my experience is enforced and plenty of people have their own sunglasses just like plenty of people have their own safety boots/shoes (or trainers!).

 

[357]

Mine have been certified OK. The company gave me the paperwork to go and get signed by the option.

From memory there are two requirements to meet. One is for the frames and is standard so they don't melt in sunlight, the other for the shading of the lenses and my option (also Specsavers) told me the only people with more than level 2 shading are visually impaired.

 

[HarryKane]

The optician should be able to tell you if they’re the correct filter, and my toc I had to get a form signed by the optician to accompany it to go on my file

 

[43066]

I believe the answer is technically no to using your own sun glasses. Some companies have sunglasses that they issue out and they’ll issue sunglasses clips that can attach on to those who wear glasses. Having said that, it’s not something that in my experience is enforced and plenty of people have their own sunglasses just like plenty of people have their own safety boots/shoes (or trainers!).

It is indeed, even for non prescription glasses. This was rigorously enforced at my old TOC, who insisted on issuing utterly useless, cheap and nasty sunglasses that broke at the drop of a hat, on the basis that some non railway types might make it difficult to distinguish between signal aspects.

I always suspected it was nonsense, and I’ve so far managed four years and counting without spadding at my current TOC, while wearing my trusty Wayfarers!

It’s much more important to be sure when it comes to prescription sunglasses, of course.

 

[Electrostar387]

The optician should be able to tell you if they’re the correct filter, and my toc I had to get a form signed by the optician to accompany it to go on my file

Exactly the same as my TOC - they even insist on the optician stamping the form as well (took them a while to figure out where that particular branch's stamp was!) But as far as the TOC is concerned, so long as the optician has legally signed them off as compliant they're happy and same as yours it gets put on my OH file.