[Ophthalmologic Evaluation of Fitness to Drive].

The ophthalmologist must know the essential principles of the driving fitness assessment. In the case of applications for a driving license renewal, it must always be clarified before the examination whether the fitness to drive is to be checked in accordance with the special regulation for holders of a driving license issued up to December 31, 1998 (see Annex 6 to § 12 of the FeV under 2.2.3 Special regulations for the old German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations). Within the scope of grandfathering, this continues to be valid only for the so-called old holders. A categorization of the manifold concerns regarding fitness to drive or driving ability in everyday practice makes it easier for the ophthalmologist to make a factually justified decision in individual cases. In particular, a distinction must be made between the medical assessment of subjects as applicants for a driving license (first-time applicants or renewal applicants) according to the German Driving License Ordinance (FeV) and the consultation of patients with chronic eye diseases [duty to inform according to the German Patients' Rights Act (PRG) and the German Civil Code (BGB), German Driving License Ordinance (FeV)]. The German Driving License Ordinance contains precise specifications for standardized testing of visual acuity and visual field as the most important partial functions of the eye. A special feature of the identified performance deficits of the eyes is that compensation by other bodily functions or supplementary technical equipment on the vehicle is not yet possible. The ophthalmologist therefore often has the task and responsibility of balancing the individual desire for mobility, in the case of professional drivers even the preservation of their jobs on the one hand, and the general societal need for safety on the other.