Photo: Antoni Shkraba, Pexels
Australia has no national standard that lets you use a bioptic telescope to meet the driving eyesight requirement. The national Assessing Fitness to Drive standards (2022) describe bioptics but say there is insufficient evidence to set standards for using them while driving. A small number of people have been conditionally licensed to drive with one in a couple of Australian jurisdictions, case by case. Victoria commissioned a review in 2024, which concluded that any safety benefits are likely to be outweighed by increased risk. If you have low vision and want to drive, expect an individual assessment, not a set pathway.
This page explains the licensing position only. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist can advise on your own vision and low-vision aids.
What is a bioptic telescope?
A bioptic is a small telescope mounted on the top part of a pair of glasses (the carrier lens). The driver looks through the normal lens most of the time and dips their chin briefly to look through the telescope, for example to read a sign, then looks back through the normal lens.
What the national standard says
- The private (car) standard needs visual acuity of at least 6/12, and a licence is refused if the better eye is worse than 6/24. See Australian driving eyesight standards explained.
- Assessing Fitness to Drive describes bioptic telescopes and how drivers use them.
- It states there is currently insufficient evidence to set standards for using them while driving.
- So there is no national rule allowing a bioptic to be used to reach 6/12.
Has anyone in Australia been licensed with a bioptic?
Yes, but very few. The 2024 report to Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning notes that in a couple of Australian jurisdictions, a small number of people whose acuity does not meet the national standard have been conditionally licensed to drive using one. The report does not name the jurisdictions. Victoria’s transport department has received requests from drivers and learner permit applicants with low vision who want to use one.
Victoria’s 2024 review
Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning engaged La Trobe University to look at the safety of driving with bioptics. The summary report (September 2024) found:
- The research reviewed did not support the assumption that using a bioptic lowers crash risk.
- In many of the Victorian driving scenarios analysed, using a bioptic would increase risk, and the practical benefits were very limited.
- Using a bioptic takes time: the one study of how drivers use them found a median of 1.4 seconds per look, longer than checking a rear-view mirror.
- Overall, any road safety benefits, such as reading some signs earlier, are likely to be outweighed by increased risk.
The report is research advice, not a licensing rule. Check with the Department of Transport and Planning whether any bioptic licensing pathway is available.
How Australia compares
| Country | Bioptic position for car drivers |
|---|---|
| Australia | No national standard; rare case-by-case conditional licences |
| United States | Most states allow bioptics under conditions, often with daylight-only limits. See bioptic driving laws by state. |
| UK and Ireland | Not accepted. See bioptic telescopes in the UK and Ireland. |
| Canada | Not accepted under the national standard, except Ontario. See Ontario’s vision standard and telescopic lenses. |
If you have low vision and want to learn to drive
- Get a full eye assessment from an optometrist or ophthalmologist, including your visual field.
- Check whether you meet the standard with ordinary glasses or contact lenses. Some people do.
- If you are just below 6/12, ask your eye specialist whether they would support a conditional licence. The national standard allows this for people slightly below the standard who are otherwise fit.
- Talk to your licensing authority before applying, and declare your vision on the learner application.
Related guides
- Driving with a medical condition or disability in Australia (series overview)
- Eyesight tests for your learner licence in each state
- Learning to drive with a disability in Australia
Want to practise the eyesight check? Our sister site Driving Eyesight Test has a free Australia letter chart on drivingeyesighttest.com. It is a practice screen, not an eye test.
Sources
- Austroads, “Assessing Fitness to Drive” (AP-G56-22), Vision and eye disorders chapter (austroads.gov.au)
- La Trobe University for the Department of Transport and Planning, “Driving with bioptic telescopes: human factors analysis and road safety evidence review, summary report”, September 2024 (transport.vic.gov.au)