Are you fit to drive? What does the DVLA say?
As I have been forced to leave my home, I have had to inform the DVLA about my change of address. This in turn meant that I had to inform them about my Bipolar disorder. They have now written to me saying that they have to write to my doctors and psychiatrist to determine whether or not I am fit to drive. Mmmm: I have been driving for 9 years without any points on my licence for any misdeamenours. Given that I have had Bipolar since I was 22, how will the DVLA justify refusing my licence now (if they do)? The only reason they know that I have Bipolar is that I have told them. Maybe I shouldn’t have done………..
Is there anyone else out there who has had their licence refused due to their illness? If so, what justifications did the DVLA use and what consultation process did they go through? Is this a form of mental health discrimination or a necessary precaution to ensure drivers are safe to go out on the roads?
One reader of this blog said:
“The DVLA stopped me from driving twice in the beginning as well even though my doctor’s said I should be fine to drive. Anyway that may be a bit difficult to judge with the medication they give you sometimes. Haven’t had an accident yet in 17 years of driving though.”
This reader’s experience begs the question: “On what grounds did the DVLA refuse the licence?” If the doctor says his patient is fit to drive, why is the DVLA refusing to renew the licence?
My psychiatrist said that the DVLA usually only refuse to renew someone’s licence if they are informed that someone has had a severe manic episode requiring hospitalisation within the last 6 months. Clearly, if someone is manic then their judgement is usually impaired and driving at 150mph down the motorway wouldn’t be a good idea. (Although many people who drive at these speeds aren’t manic - they’re just sports stars or celebraties or policemen…………..)
However, there are people who drink moderately and still only have their licence taken away if they get caught - not if their doctor writes to the DVLA and informs them that a patient of theirs is known to have an alcohol problem.
What about people who take medication which is known to make them drowsy such as sleeping tablets?
What about people who have serious heart conditions who may have a heart attack at any moment?
What about elderly people with poor eyesight or other medical conditions whose reactions are severely impaired because of their age?
It seems to me that the only people who should determine whether or not someone is fit to drive is the driver’s medical team: all the DVLA should be doing is checking police records for convictions and checking that someone has passed their test.
All stories gratefully received…….
Great stuff. Nice to read some well written posts that have some relevancy !
Hi,
I know a person who because they have memory problems the Doctor say’s he is not fit to drive.
This is rubbish!
Just because a person suffers memory problems does not mean they can’t drive.
I am regularly in the car with this person and recently he drove around a blind corner where a lorry was half way across the road and he did the most perfect emergency stop.
He indicates at the right time and stops correctly at every junction.
He is curteous to other road users.
These Doctors make me sick.
If they take away his licence to drive, they will take away his only form of independence.
This will make his condition worse
The medical proffession cares more about covering their own backs than that of a patients well being.
Just because a patient can’t add a few numbers or remember certain details does not mean they can’t drive!
Yes this person is elderly!
The care homes of this country are full of people looking out of windows to die, just because of doctors like these.
The Doctors are so full of worry over being liable than they are about all the people in carehomes that are let down by this system.
It is high time for a change in outlook from the medical profession.
Instead of diagnosing a person suffering from memory problems, then taking their driving licence from them and pumping them full of drugs and dumping them in carehomes to rot away til death.
They should be getting of their backsides and giving these patients incentives to get well.
The UK and the USA are the only countries that give up on the elderly and put them in homes.
Their should be regular brain excercises, such as Puzzles, maths and writing etc. Some physical excercises or psychiatric help or anything else to help these people, not this throw in the towel attitude that you get from the medical profession.
Their reason for taking driving licences from the elderly is simple “The doctors cover their own backs because they are scared they are liable” If a patient fails memory tests they just give up on them.
I cannot believe for one minute that a persons memory cannot be restored, no matter who they are.
The person i refer to is my father who i love and who i want to get better and i hate this giving up on people society in favour of beaurocratic liability rules and regulations which puts our so called free world in chains.
Regards,
Michael