Driver medical and eyesight requirements

Lorry and bus drivers are held to a higher medical standard than car drivers - the "Group 2" standard - because the consequences of a driver being taken ill or unable to see properly at the wheel of a 44-tonne vehicle are so much greater. Operators need to know the standard applies and that it does not stop at licence issue.

The Group 2 medical

To gain and keep an LGV (category C) or PCV (category D) entitlement, a driver must meet the Group 2 medical standards, evidenced by a D4 medical examination completed by a doctor. Group 2 licences are issued for limited periods and require renewal with a fresh medical - more frequently as drivers get older. A lapsed medical means a lapsed entitlement.

Eyesight

The eyesight rules are stricter for Group 2, covering visual acuity in each eye and together, and the field of vision, as well as the basic ability to read a number plate at the required distance. Uncorrected or unnotified deterioration is a genuine roadside and licensing risk.

Notifiable conditions

Drivers must notify the DVLA of medical conditions that can affect driving - including diabetes managed in certain ways, heart conditions, sleep apnoea, epilepsy and others - and the Group 2 thresholds are tighter than for cars. A driver who develops a notifiable condition may need to stop driving professionally until it is assessed.

The operator's part

You cannot examine your drivers, but you can build the checkpoints into your system:

• Track the medical renewal date with the driver's licence and CPC records so it never lapses unnoticed.
• Make clear in induction that drivers must tell you and the DVLA about notifiable conditions.
• Act if you become aware a driver may not meet the standard - continuing to let them drive is a repute risk for you as well as a safety risk.

How OperatorCompliance helps

OperatorCompliance keeps each driver's key dates - licence, CPC, tachograph card and medical renewal - in one record with reminders, so a driver's Group 2 medical is renewed in good time and the entitlement never quietly expires. See how it works or start a free 14-day trial.

This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. Check the current Group 2 medical and eyesight standards on GOV.UK.

Frequently asked questions

What is a D4 medical?

A D4 is the medical examination report a driver needs to gain or keep a lorry (category C) or bus (category D) entitlement. A doctor completes it against the Group 2 medical standards. Group 2 entitlements are issued for limited periods and need renewing with a fresh medical, more often as drivers get older.

How often do lorry drivers need a medical?

Vocational (Group 2) entitlements are issued for fixed periods rather than the full photocard term. Renewal with a fresh medical is typically required from age 45, then more frequently, and annually from 65. Check the current renewal points on GOV.UK, and track each driver's medical date so the entitlement never lapses unnoticed.

What eyesight standard do professional drivers need?

Group 2 eyesight rules are stricter than for car drivers, covering visual acuity in each eye and together, the field of vision, and the basic ability to read a number plate at the required distance. Uncorrected or unnotified deterioration is a genuine roadside and licensing risk, so it forms part of the medical assessment.

What medical conditions must a driver tell DVLA about?

Drivers must notify DVLA of conditions that can affect driving, and the Group 2 thresholds are tighter than for cars. These include some forms of diabetes, certain heart conditions, sleep apnoea and epilepsy, among others. A driver who develops a notifiable condition may have to stop driving professionally until it is assessed.

Sources

• Driving and medical conditions
• Become a lorry or bus driver