Wearing sunglasses on your driving test – is it allowed?
In short, yes you can wear sunglasses on your driving test or on your driving lessons. In fact as a driving instructor myself I 100% recommend it under certain circumstances.
When the sun is low in the sky
In winter and spring especially, the sun can be low in the sky for long periods of time so it can be in your line of sight for quite a while during your driving test or some of your driving lessons.
When it’s very bright
So as well as when the sun is low and when it is exceptionally bright like in the summer it’s a good idea to have your sunglasses handy.
After it’s been raining and now it’s sunny
In this scenario, it doesn’t need to be very sunny but after a shower of rain and if the sun hits it the road can look white making road markings very difficult to see.
Do you have hay fever?
Sometimes we get clients that suffer from hay fever and them wearing glasses does seem to help to reduce the symptoms. I don’t know why but it sometimes does.
There are a few things to consider though before you pop your sunglasses on.
Do you need to wear glasses or contact lenses?
If you do need to wear corrective eyewear then you’ll need to make sure that sunglasses don’t interfere with your ability to see the required distance.
Will the examiner still be able to see what you’re looking at?
I think this is one that we have to be clear on. I think that you should be actually looking at all the mirrors when you are checking your mirrors, not just moving your eyes. I’m not suggesting that you need to exaggerate the checks but you need to look, not just glance. If you just glance then the examiner might not be able to see you checking. They are very used to watching drivers check on the driving test though so it’s likely they’ll pick everything you do up anyway.
When are you going to put them on?
Make sure that they are easy to grab and you only put them on when the vehicle is stationary. I’d personally suggest pulling up to the side of the road and securing the car, handbrake on, in neutral, and then putting them on. Whilst doing it whilst the car is moving isn’t illegal I think it could be considered not best practice and so if you lost control that could end up as a serious fault on your driving test or a problem in real life.
In Summary
Yes, you can wear glasses during your driving lessons and during your driving test, but, you must make sure that they are not going to interfere with your general sight and that when putting them on you do so in a safe way making sure that you keep full control of the car at all times.
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