State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie said Friday that the Department of Motor Vehicles will continue to require drivers to get an eye test every eight years, at least for now.

The DMV had moved to require only a "self-certification" when renewing a driver's license, which Mrs. Ritchie, the former St. Lawrence County clerk, called a safety hazard. It announced Friday that it was putting the policy change on hold.

"My first concern was the safety issue, because working in the office, I dealt with that directly," Mrs. Ritchie said Friday. "Dozens of times, people would come in and couldn't read the top line on the eye chart. Once we pointed out it, they'd be thankful."

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