How long before you can drive after cataract surgery?

Senior man at the wheel of his car after cataract surgery

Never on the day of the procedure, then for as long as it takes for your vision to become clear and stable again and to meet the legal threshold. There is no fixed waiting time: some patients get back behind the wheel at the first check-up, others a few days later. Here is what decides when you can resume, what French regulations say, and the situations in which you should wait longer.

Direct answer: no fixed waiting time, but a medical green light

Key point. You never drive on the day of your cataract operation. After that, resuming driving depends on your visual recovery and on your ophthalmologist’s opinion. There is no universal “day X”: what allows you to drive is clear, stable vision, no troublesome glare and approval at the post-operative check-up. Never get back behind the wheel before this medical green light.

The three criteria for driving again after cataract surgery Diagram showing the three criteria that allow driving to resume after cataract surgery: clear, comfortable vision, no troublesome glare, and approval at the post-operative check-up. No fixed waiting time is imposed. Driving again: not a waiting time, three criteria Driving is approved case by case by your ophthalmologist Clear vision Reading road signs, judging distances No glare No more troublesome halos in real-life conditions Medical green light Approved at the post-operative check-up
The three criteria that allow driving to resume after cataract surgery. Educational diagram — Dr Moïse Tourabaly.

To understand the procedure as a whole, see our dedicated page on cataract surgery.

On the day of the operation: never behind the wheel

On the day of the procedure, your vision is not reliable enough for driving, even if you feel well. Several reasons add up:

  • a pupil that is still dilated by the eye drops put in that morning, which makes light dazzling and focusing difficult;
  • transient blurred vision, while the eye recovers from the procedure;
  • the protective eye shield, placed over the operated eye until the evening;
  • the effect of the anaesthetic, which is not compatible with driving on the same day.

So arrange your journey home without driving. What you can expect over the following days is detailed on our page on recovery after cataract surgery.

How long should you go without driving after the operation?

There is no fixed length of time: when you can resume driving is approved case by case. The first check-up takes place two days after the procedure; it is the first opportunity to review where you stand on driving. Depending on your recovery, driving may become possible again at that point, or a few days later. Your ophthalmologist is guided by three criteria:

  • clear, stable vision, which lets you read road signs and judge distances, and no longer fluctuates from one hour to the next;
  • no troublesome glare in real driving conditions;
  • approval at the post-operative check-up, where acuity is measured with the correction you will wear when driving and compared with the legal threshold.

The usual schedule of check-ups is as follows: two days after the procedure, then at one month, then at one year. Vision continues to sharpen over the first few weeks; this is why new glasses are only prescribed after three to four weeks. If your vision is still blurred after the operation, this is not the time to get back on the road: blurred vision should be reported at the check-up.

What the law says: the vision threshold for driving

In France, visual fitness to drive is set by the Arrêté du 28 mars 2022 (order of 28 March 2022) on medical conditions and the driving licence. For category B and the other light-vehicle licences, it requires:

  • visual acuity of at least 5/10 with both eyes open, measured with your correction if you wear one;
  • if one eye sees less than 1/10, acuity of at least 5/10 in the better-corrected eye;
  • a horizontal visual field of at least 120 degrees, with minimum requirements to the right, to the left, above and below.

The heavy-vehicle licence groups (lorries, passenger transport) have higher acuity requirements: resuming must then be explicitly approved with your ophthalmologist. Bear in mind also that your ophthalmologist’s green light is a medical opinion, not an administrative authorisation: the responsibility for taking to the road while genuinely feeling fit to do so remains the driver’s. To understand better what these figures measure, see our page on visual acuity.

Between the two operations: driving with only one eye operated on

The two eyes are operated on separately: an interval of one to two weeks generally separates them. During this period you are living with one operated eye, often relieved of its myopia or hypermetropia, and one eye that has not been operated on yet. This difference can disturb your perception of depth and distance.

Driving between the two procedures is not forbidden in itself: it is possible if your binocular vision remains sufficient and comfortable, once your ophthalmologist has approved it. If you wore glasses, the old lens on the operated side is no longer suitable: your optician can replace it with a plain lens (with no correction) until the second eye has been operated on. This simple adjustment often restores comfort at the wheel.

What the studies show: safer driving after the operation

The wait of a few days should not make us lose sight of the main point: an unoperated cataract degrades contrast vision and increases glare, two handicaps at the wheel. Several studies have measured what the procedure changes.

  • In an American study of 277 drivers followed for four to six years (Owsley, 2002), those who had been operated on had about half as many accidents as those who had chosen not to be (rate ratio 0.47).
  • Among 2,849 drivers aged 60 and over in Western Australia (Meuleners, 2019), the crash rate fell by 61% after the first eye and by 23% after the second, compared with the year before the operation.
  • In a driving-simulator study (Meuleners, 2021, 44 drivers), crashes and near-misses decreased by 36% after the first eye and by 47% after the second.

These studies are observational and were carried out outside France; they describe an association, not a certainty for any individual patient. They nevertheless converge, and a meta-analysis (Nguyen, 2023) finds a crash risk roughly halved after the operation. Two practical lessons emerge: the benefit continues after the second eye, and contrast sensitivity predicts driving quality better than acuity alone (Wood, 2006; Meuleners, 2021). “10/10” vision that remains dull or dazzled is therefore not yet vision that is ready for the road.

Night driving: a separate waiting time

Night driving often comes back later than daytime driving. During the adaptation phase, halos around headlights and street lamps, or sensitivity to light, may persist, particularly with certain multifocal implants. Even if you are driving again in daytime, stay cautious at dusk and put off night-time journeys until your comfort has returned. We describe these phenomena and how they evolve in our article on night driving after cataract surgery.

When not to drive, and when to seek advice

Certain signs mean you must not drive and should seek advice without delay: the Cachan practice during the day, an eye emergency department in the evening and at weekends.

  • a sudden drop in vision after an initial improvement;
  • significant eye pain that does not subside;
  • a red eye that is very sensitive to light;
  • the appearance of numerous black spots, flashes of light or a veil in the field of vision.

Several months or years after the operation, vision that clouds over again most often points to a secondary cataract, which is common and benign, and is treated with a laser. As long as your vision is cloudy, it no longer meets the conditions required for driving: make an appointment.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can you drive the day after cataract surgery?

The day after, driving has not yet been approved: the first check-up takes place two days after the operation. Some patients recover clear vision very quickly, others need a few more days. Never get back behind the wheel before your ophthalmologist gives the green light.

Do you have to wait until both eyes have been operated on?

Not necessarily. Many patients drive again between the two procedures, if the vision of the operated eye and binocular vision remain sufficient. When the difference between the two eyes interferes with perception, your ophthalmologist may advise waiting for the second operation; a plain lens fitted by the optician on the operated side often improves comfort in the meantime.

What visual acuity do you need to drive?

For a category B licence, the Arrêté du 28 mars 2022 requires at least 5/10 with both eyes open, with correction if necessary, and a horizontal visual field of at least 120 degrees. If one eye sees less than 1/10, the better-corrected eye must reach 5/10. This threshold must be reached in a stable way: vision that fluctuates from one hour to the next, as is common in the very first days, does not meet it.

Do I have to wait for my final glasses before driving again?

Not necessarily. New glasses are prescribed after three to four weeks; if acuity is already sufficient and comfortable before then, your ophthalmologist may approve resuming earlier, with your old glasses, a plain lens on the operated side, or without glasses, depending on your vision. The reverse is also true: as long as your vision remains unstable, new glasses will make no difference.

My licence carries the “glasses” restriction: what should I do if I no longer need them?

If your licence carries code 01 (compulsory wearing of a correction) and you no longer need one after the operation, you must apply for a new licence without this code. The process involves a certificate from your ophthalmologist, followed by an appointment with a doctor approved by the prefecture. If you still wear glasses to drive, nothing changes.

Is night driving possible after the operation?

Yes, but often a little later than daytime driving. Halos or sensitivity to light may persist during the adaptation phase. Wait until these phenomena fade and your night-time visual comfort has returned; if in doubt, talk about it at your check-up. Our article on night driving after cataract surgery describes these situations in detail.

I drive a lorry or carry passengers: is the waiting time the same?

Resuming driving calls for greater caution. Heavy-vehicle licence groups and passenger transport have higher acuity requirements than category B. Resuming must be explicitly approved with your ophthalmologist, who checks that these criteria are met, and not merely that you see comfortably in everyday life.

Scientific sources

  1. Arrêté du 28 mars 2022 fixant la liste des affections médicales incompatibles ou compatibles avec ou sans aménagements ou restrictions pour l’obtention, le renouvellement ou le maintien du permis de conduire. Journal officiel de la République française.
  2. Service-public.fr. Permis de conduire : mention des verres correcteurs après une opération des yeux. Fiche F16787.
  3. Owsley C, McGwin G Jr, Sloane M, et al. Impact of cataract surgery on motor vehicle crash involvement by older adults. JAMA. 2002;288(7):841-849. PMID: 12186601
  4. Meuleners LB, Brameld K, Fraser ML, Chow K. The impact of first- and second-eye cataract surgery on motor vehicle crashes and associated costs. Age Ageing. 2019;48(1):128-133. PMID: 30265273
  5. Meuleners LB, Ng JQ, Fraser ML, et al. Changes in driving performance after first and second eye cataract surgery: A driving simulator study. J Safety Res. 2021;78:146-154. PMID: 34399910
  6. Wood JM, Carberry TP. Bilateral cataract surgery and driving performance. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006;90(10):1277-1280. PMID: 16825273
  7. Nguyen H, Di Tanna GL, Coxon K, et al. Associations between vision impairment and vision-related interventions on crash risk and driving cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2023;13(8):e065210. PMID: 37567751

Further reading

Post-operative check-ups at the Cachan practice (94) · Tel. +33 1 45 47 08 11

A question about driving again?

Getting back behind the wheel follows the pace of your recovery and is approved at your check-up. If you are unsure about the right moment, or if the difference in vision between your two eyes is a nuisance, talk about it at your check-up: your ophthalmologist will measure your vision and tell you where you stand in relation to the legal threshold.

This article is intended for information and educational purposes. It does not replace a medical consultation. Resuming driving is approved case by case by your ophthalmologist. The study figures quoted describe populations, not your personal situation.

Patient journey: your cataract surgery step by step

Written and reviewed by Dr Moïse Tourabaly, ophthalmic refractive surgeon — former chef de clinique (Quinze-Vingts National Eye Hospital).

Last updated: October 4, 2026

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