Being colorblind?

[gibson777]

I can clearly distinguish traffic signal colors. But I fail miserably to standard color blind tests. Will this prevent me from getting my CDL?

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by gibson777

I can clearly distinguish traffic signal colors. But I fail miserably to standard color blind tests. Will this prevent me from getting my CDL?

i got this from another website's message board:

The DOT regs state that the driver must be able to distinguish red, green, and amber colors only. A standard Snellen vision chart (that's the one with all the letters of varying sizes) only has the red and green colors on it. This is the most commonly used vision test for DOT medical certification. But because this test does not contain the color amber, it is often supplemented by the Ishihara testing or some other type of test that will include the three colors


then i found this regarding Florida's CDL, although, its Florida, at least you will see that it doesn't prevent a person from getting a CDL, in that state, so i'm thinking you might be ok, but then, if i were you, i'd go in person to your state DMV and ask yourself.

Vision - Vision testing, using an eye machine located on the counter, is conducted in all driver license offices. Visual acuity readings worse than 20/40 are referred to an eye specialist. Color blindness will not cause any special condition for licensing.

[jack knife]

here are some of the pictures on the test

Ishihara Test for Color Blindness

[RedRollingRoadblock]

From 391.41

H(b)(10)Has distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye without corrective lenses or visual acuity separately corrected to 20/40 (Snellen) or better with corrective lenses, distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in both eyes with or without corrective lenses, field of vision of at least 70° in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and the ability to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green, and amber;

The interpation given with the rule FMCSA -
If certain color perception tests are administered (such as Ishihara, Pseudoisochromatic, Yarn, etc.), and doubtful findings are discovered, a controlled test using signal red, green, and amber may be employed to determine the driver's ability to recognize these colors.

Make sure that the doctor that gives you the physical knows the rules. Some do...some don't

[grocery thrower]

I have a friend that is a line driver for fedex, he is completely color blind, in fact when he is hooking up he can't tell what color the gladhands are, he has to read them for emergency and service, if they are not marked he just figures it out, I think he told me for traffic signals he just goes by the placement of the lights, I think once he told me if they ever change it without telling him he is screwed..LOL, I don't know how he gets his licence, maybe some kind of waiver, he has been driving for 15 or 16 years now.

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by grocery thrower

I have a friend that is a line driver for fedex, he is completely color blind, in fact when he is hooking up he can't tell what color the gladhands are, he has to read them for emergency and service, if they are not marked he just figures it out, I think he told me for traffic signals he just goes by the placement of the lights, I think once he told me if they ever change it without telling him he is screwed..LOL, I don't know how he gets his licence, maybe some kind of waiver, he has been driving for 15 or 16 years now.

i'll bet he's screwed........

what does he do when the trafic lights are mounted vertically instead of horizontially?

i may have said that wrong, you know, when the lights go from "side to side"...instead of "up and down"..