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Arkansas driving lesson · Driving Fitness & Impaired Driving

Vision & hearing

A 3-minute lesson from the Arkansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Driving Fitness & Impaired Driving
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
83

Safe driving depends on seeing clearly, being rested, and being sober. Vision comes first: if you can't see well, you can't spot trouble or react in time.

Know the rule

Arkansas requires a vision test before you get a license. You must have at least 20/70 vision in at least one eye, with or without corrective lenses.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

Peripheral vision

Your field of vision from the corner of your eye. It lets you spot vehicles and trouble to either side while you look ahead.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

Know the rule

You can't focus on things to the side, so also use your side mirrors and glance to the side.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

Know the rule

Judging distance and speed takes a lot of practice. It matters most when judging safe gaps for merging and for passing on two-lane roads.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

Know the rule

Everyone has some trouble seeing at night, and oncoming headlights cause glare. If you have trouble seeing at night, don't drive unless it's necessary, and be very careful if you do.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

Know the rule

Have your eyes checked every year by an eye specialist; you may not know your vision is poor until it's tested.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

If you need glasses or contacts:

  • Wear them when you drive; with a "B" restriction you must drive with your eyewear
  • You can be ticketed for not wearing required corrective lenses
  • Keep an extra pair of glasses in the vehicle
  • Avoid dark or tinted glasses or lenses at night; they cut the light you need
Handbook p. 83 ↗

Know the rule

Hearing warns you through horns, sirens and screeching tires. Deaf or hearing-impaired drivers stay safe by relying on their vision, and their driving records are as good as those of drivers with good hearing.

Handbook p. 83 ↗

Put it into practice

Your license has a "B" restriction, and you left your glasses at a friend's house. Don't drive without eyewear; that's a ticketable offense. Keeping a spare pair in the car avoids the problem.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

What is the minimum vision required in at least one eye, per the driving-fitness chapter?
  1. 20/70
  2. 20/40
  3. 20/100
  4. 20/200

Answer: 20/70

The Driving Fitness chapter states you must have at least 20/70 vision in at least one eye, with or without corrective lenses.

Handbook p. 83 ↗
How often should drivers have their eyes checked by an eye specialist?
  1. Every 5 years
  2. Every year
  3. Only when applying for a license
  4. Every 2 years

Answer: Every year

Because safe driving depends on vision, drivers should have their eyes checked every year.

Handbook p. 83 ↗
Why should you avoid wearing dark or tinted lenses while driving at night?
  1. They are illegal at any time of day
  2. They distort the colors of traffic lights
  3. They cut down the light you need to see the road
  4. They increase glare from oncoming cars

Answer: They cut down the light you need to see the road

Dark or tinted lenses reduce the light your eyes need to see the road at night, even though they cut glare.

Handbook p. 83 ↗
What should you keep in your vehicle in case you forget or misplace your glasses?
  1. A copy of your eye prescription
  2. A pair of sunglasses only
  3. Nothing; it isn't necessary
  4. An extra pair of glasses

Answer: An extra pair of glasses

Keeping a spare pair of glasses in the vehicle helps if you forget or misplace your regular pair.

Handbook p. 83 ↗
What is peripheral vision used for while driving?
  1. Spotting vehicles and hazards to the side while looking ahead
  2. Judging your own speed only
  3. Reading road signs at a distance
  4. Seeing clearly directly behind you

Answer: Spotting vehicles and hazards to the side while looking ahead

Peripheral vision lets you notice things to the side without shifting your focus away from the road ahead.

Handbook p. 83 ↗
Dark or tinted lenses are recommended for night driving because they reduce glare with no downside.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

Dark or tinted lenses cut down too much light at night, making it harder to see the road.

Handbook p. 83 ↗
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