More Than 200 To Seek “Bioptic” Driving Privileges in West Virginia

From the Register-Herald today:

According to the West Virginia DMV, more than 200 people in West Virginia may seek permission to operate a vehicle while using bioptic telescopic lenses to enhance impaired vision.

This concept was approved by the legislature in the winter regular session. Before going solo, the commissioner emphasized that enrollees will undergo a mandatory, 90-hour training session. “It will be 30 hours of sitting there as a passenger, 30 hours of classroom and 30 hours of actually driving with an instructor watching them as to how they use that piece of equipment,” he said.

The DMV Commissioner further stated that “we’re initially going to restrict them to daylight driving,” Cicchirillo said. “They’ll have to be off the road when it gets dark. The reason being is, they’re going to have to provide some kind of proficiency and their history.”

As if driving on West Virginia roads were not dangerous enough before the advent of driving with “bioptic” telescopic lens. So daylight driving only will be allowed. At what point does daylight become nighttime? It seems that there is an awfully large grey area in between that could create some tricky liability issues for those involved in car accidents with these drivers.

– John H. Bryan, West Virginia Car Accident Attorney.