Medical Conditions, Disabilities & Your Licence

When you apply for your driving licence you may be in good health but as time passes your health may deteriorate or you mind find that have contracted an illness that makes it difficult if not impossible for you to drive.

If this unfortunate event occurs you must inform the DVLA (Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and surrender your licence if your doctor tells you that you are no longer fit to drive.

What Medical Conditions may Prevent me from Driving?

There are some medical conditions that immediately pose a problem for any driver and as such may bring about an end to their ability to drive. If this is the case then you should take all the necessary steps to ensure that all the relevant bodies are informed of your condition and your inability to drive.

Epilepsy

There are around 450,000 people in the United Kingdom at any one time suffering from Epilepsy. These sufferers can suffer from a number of different variations of the illness but they all have one thing in common; they could have a seizure at any time.

Epilepsy can be treated with medications however if you suffer from the condition you must make the DVLA (Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Agency) aware of the condition. Many people go through their lives having only a handful of attacks but there are many others who can seize without warning at any given time and this can lead to problems if they are in charge of a vehicle.

Heart Conditions

Again there are a number of heart conditions which could cause problems when it comes to driving a motor vehicle. Your doctor will suggest whether or not it is a good idea for you to drive or not and it is wise that you take this advise seriously.

It is not unknown for example, for a driver to have a heart attack behind the wheel of their vehicle and cause not only further injury to themselves but also to other road users and pedestrians if they are unable to keep control of their vehicle.

As with all illnesses you should inform the DVLA as soon as you are made aware of the condition

Losing a Limb

Contrary to popular belief people can still – and do drive - if they lose a limb however it is important that they make this information available to the DVLA as soon as they can.

Your doctor should be able to give you advice on whether or not driving is a good idea and also should be able to provide all the necessary medical information to the DVLA upon request.

If you are driving after having either lost a limb – or having lost the use of a limb – you will also probably have to have your vehicle modified in which case you must also inform the DVLA as to any modifications made in order for you to drive.

Revocation of your Licence

It is worth noting that if you suffer from a medical condition or disability that may impair your ability to drive and you do not make this information known to the DVLA that they can – without informing you – revoke your licence thus making it illegal for you to drive.

The DVLA have the right – and indeed exercise the right – to revoke the licence of any driver who has not declared a medical condition or physical condition that may render them unable to drive

Likewise the DVLA have the right to approach your doctor at any time for an update on your medical history in order to make sure that your condition has not worsened and also that you are not putting the lives of yourself and others on the road at risk.