Page 22 - Driving Commercial Vehicles Manual

chapter 1 — getting your driver’s licence

Medical fitness

Commercial drivers need to be in good physical condition. When you apply
for a commercial driver’s licence, heavy trailer endorsement or industrial air
brake endorsement you’ll:
• be asked if you have certain medical conditions that may affect your fitness
and ability to hold a commercial driver’s licence.
• be required to complete a declaration form regarding medical conditions.
• be given a Driver’s Medical Examination form that your doctor needs to
complete and send to RoadSafetyBC. The Superintendent will review the
information on the form to determine your fitness to hold a commercial
driver’s licence.

• be required to complete a vision screening (see below for details).
If you’ve any questions about a medical condition and whether it may affect
your fitness to hold a commercial driver’s licence, contact RoadSafetyBC.

Vision
Commercial drivers are required to meet a higher vision standard than Class 5
drivers. Your vision will be screened at a driver licensing office when you apply
for a learner’s licence. If a problem is found, you may be required to have your
eyes examined by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.
Your vision will be checked to measure:
• your ability to read from a distance (visual acuity)
fast fact
• your ability to see objects on each side of you (peripheral vision)
Applicants who need contact • your ability to tell how close objects are (depth perception)
lenses or eyeglasses to meet
the required vision standards • whether you have double vision (diplopia)
must use those lenses during
their vision screenings. • your ability to distinguish red, green and amber (colour perception).

Air brake endorsement

fast fact To operate vehicles equipped with air brakes on a highway (other than a
vehicle defined as a construction vehicle), you must have a B.C. driver’s
An applicant who fails to licence with an air brake endorsement (code 15).
qualify on the air brake An air brake endorsement is also required to operate most vehicles equipped
knowledge test after three with air-over-hydraulic brakes. See chapter 8, air brakes, for details about this
attempts must complete or type of braking system.
repeat an approved 7-hour
air brake training course. Endorsement code 15 is shown in the “restrictions” section of a driver’s
The air brake knowledge licence.
test results are only valid
for one year. Drivers who How to apply for an air brake endorsement
haven’t had the air brake
endorsement placed on 1. Complete an air brake course. These are a minimum of 7 hours in length
their driver’s licence within and are available at many driving schools, community colleges and other
one year of passing the air sites. When you complete the course, you’ll be given a certificate or other
brake knowledge test will
need to re-take it. proof of course completion.
2. Study the applicable sections of this guide to prepare for the air brake
endorsement tests.

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