National Consensus on the Assessment of Visual Function for Driving in Switzerland

Area of Science:

• Traffic Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Legal Medicine

Background:

• Swiss Federal Law, via the Traffic Licensing Ordinance (TLO), regulates visual function for driving fitness.
• Lack of specific medical examination guidelines in TLO leads to legal inequality and examiner uncertainty.
• A consensus is needed to standardize visual function assessment for driving fitness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a national consensus on assessing visual function for driving fitness in Switzerland.
• To develop standardized recommendations for medical professionals.
• To ensure legal equality and certainty in driving fitness assessments.

Main Methods:

• A study group with representatives from traffic medicine and ophthalmology societies was formed.
• Structured meetings were held to discuss examination techniques and international/local recommendations.
• Consensus was defined as complete agreement, with follow-up sessions to resolve disagreements.

Main Results:

• Five in-person meetings were conducted between March 2019 and January 2023.
• Recommendations were developed for professionals assessing driving fitness.
• A practical guide was created for examining visual function requirements and interpreting findings.

Conclusions:

• A consensus on visual function assessment is vital for legal equality and examiner certainty in Switzerland.
• Regular review of the consensus is necessary to adapt to legal changes and new scientific evidence.
• Standardized assessment promotes fair and consistent evaluation of driving fitness.