# Color Blindness Question



## A.Abbass (Jun 28, 2014)

I have posted my question in the car & driving sticky like 4 days ago but nobody responded.

My question is: I just knew that Ishihara test (It's a chart to recognize color blindness) is part of the eye test to issue a Dubai driving license.

I have a degree of color blindness, after the first couple of pages of the Ishihara chart I won't be able to recognize numbers. How would that affect issuing the license ?

Do you have any personal experience with color blindness and driving license ? or heard of anything similar ?


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Yes, it was me who raised it. I fail the test but can pick out red and green traffic lights just fine along with large bundles of multicoloured cable pairs. I cannot even get the first page. 10% of all males have the same problem.

I just told the lady I was marginally colour blind and pointed out a few red and green things around and she seemed satisfied.


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## A.Abbass (Jun 28, 2014)

twowheelsgood said:


> Yes, it was me who raised it. I fail the test but can pick out red and green traffic lights just fine along with large bundles of multicoloured cable pairs. I cannot even get the first page. 10% of all males have the same problem.
> 
> I just told the lady I was marginally colour blind and pointed out a few red and green things around and she seemed satisfied.


So eventually you got the license ? That's such a relief !

Is that lady a doctor or a technician ? I believe if she's a doctor she would be more understanding of the condition.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

A.Abbass said:


> So eventually you got the license ? That's such a relief !
> 
> Is that lady a doctor or a technician ? I believe if she's a doctor she would be more understanding of the condition.


It was the lady who did the eye tests in the place at the back of the RTA cetre outside Noor Bank metro station. She didnt seem overly concerned either way.


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

I don't get why colour blindness is even an issue for driving, given that with traffic lights red is always at the top and green at the bottom, so it makes no difference.


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## A.Abbass (Jun 28, 2014)

Chocoholic said:


> I don't get why colour blindness is even an issue for driving, given that with traffic lights red is always at the top and green at the bottom, so it makes no difference.


True, I was surprised to hear about a color test. I have passed 2 other GCC driving licenses and none had Ishihara test in the process.


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## luminus (Apr 19, 2015)

Can anyone share feedbacks for the eye test what are they doing in the test and where did you get it exactly? I appreciate if you could assit.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Read the thread above fully - at the RTA Office next to Noor Bank station. It was in the same building


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## luminus (Apr 19, 2015)

Above posts are almost 1 year old I'm asking for smthng new on the eye test.


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## A.Abbass (Jun 28, 2014)

Sorry I forgot to post my feedback after getting my driving license;

I have landed to Dubai about 6 months ago and I went through the process of transferring a Bahraini license to a Emirati one. Color discrimination (via Ishihara test) is one of the tests you have to pass.

I took the test in Yateem optics, the one in Emirates mall and since I have a severe form of color blindness (I can identify only the 1st page) I failed the test. The guy was an optometrist and he was about to stamp it was (Failed eye test) then I explained to him how sensitive my job is and the urge of getting the license.....etc, I also explained to him I can identify all traffic signs and lights easily, so he was understanding enough and passed me.

If you fail the test after a couple of pages I think he might not bother, if you are like me and will fail from the first or 2nd page just try to be nice and explain, if they insist just go take the eye test elsewhere.


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## luminus (Apr 19, 2015)

thank you.
I don't understand why they're still insist on the color test, rta medical standard, page 55 7th article says "driving may continue with no restriction onthe licence" .

By the way did he just asked couple of pages or more, did he asked to follow the lines at the end of the book?


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## A.Abbass (Jun 28, 2014)

luminus said:


> thank you.
> I don't understand why they're still insist on the color test, rta medical standard, page 55 7th article says "driving may continue with no restriction onthe licence" .
> 
> By the way did he just asked couple of pages or more, did he asked to follow the lines at the end of the book?


Once you cannot identify the number on one page you don't move to the following one. So apparently I didn't reach the end of the book


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

A.Abbass said:


> Once you cannot identify the number on one page you don't move to the following one. So apparently I didn't reach the end of the book


Not if they are doing the test properly as some of the last ones are only visible to those with colour blindness. And the later ones distinguish between red-green and blue-yellow failures.

I suspect the person doing the test didnt know what they are doing.


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## luminus (Apr 19, 2015)

I think so, do you know any place which doesn't do colorblindness test for RTA in these days.


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## Asimfrombombay (Sep 20, 2013)

Do they consider albinism in their eye test? Its not color blindness but the person can't see stable from far away distance.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Basically, someone told the RTA to do it, but didn't tell them exactly why or when it's important.


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