Driving and Cmt

[Megan23]

Hi everyone just wondered if anyone when informed the dvla of their CMT had to do a driving appraisal to keep their driving liceance I've just been told I have to do one because of it and I'm a bit worried why I need to do one I've sent the paper work back to dvla saying I will do one I'm just thinking if I should do a couple of lessons with a instructor to see if I've picked any daft faults up even though I think I'm s good driver and my consultant said I'm still able to drive .

[cath123]

Hi Megan 23

I too informed DVLA and was a year later invited to attend a driving appraisal, don't bother with the driving lessons, they are not testing you on your bad habits. I spent some time on a small track at the assessment center, showing I was capable and could complete an emergency stop before going out in the real world for an hour driving (did feel relaxed and confident) when we returned I went back onto the track. I had a couple of laps of the track again, but unfortunately when asked to complete the emergency stop I hesitated as I couldn't feel the pedal (which I'd adapted too over the past years). For this reason I failed the overall assessment and had my license revoked immediately, I wasn't even allowed to drive home, which was a problem as I was alone and an hour from home.

It took six months of constant badgering DVLA and the test center as to how to get my license back, which I eventually did after having my own automatic car adapted to hand controls and some driving lessons in an adapted vehicle. I am now a happy independent driver with a three year restricted license, not ideal but my independence is still crucial with just the inconvenience of having to reapply for my license every three years, which is just a form - no further assessments.

Good luck

[Megan23 in reply to cath123]

Thanks for ur reply I've just sent the letter back to them was hoping it would be in hull were I live but from what someone has said looks like I'll have to travel to Leeds or were they decide to send me for it doesn't help much if you don't know the area but fingers crossed all goes well on the day thank you c

[HorshamMalc]

Hi Megan, I'm on my third three-year restricted licence (due to CMT) and have never heard of, or been asked to do, an assessment test. There's just a DVLA form that my GP fills in to say he thinks I'm capable of driving.

Hope this helps, Malcolm.

[Megan23 in reply to HorshamMalc]

Thanks for ur reply I can't understand why I have to do it seeing my consultant said I was ok to carry on driving

[HorshamMalc in reply to Megan23]

I can only think that maybe the rules have changed since I first informed the DVLA. Best of luck anyway. As somebody else commented, it's not a driving assessment, they're only looking to see if you are physically capable of driving, not how good you are. Don't worry about it and I'm sure you'll be fine.

[Amanita]

When I told the DVLA about my CMT in 2012 just after it had been formally diagnosed, they got in touch with my neurologist, who evidently told them he considered I was safe to drive.

However, some months later, on the recommendation of my occupational therapist, I had a medical driving assessment. The result of that was that I was certainly not deemed fit to drive a car with manual gears. So I had to have lessons pretty promptly to learn to drive an automatic, using my R foot for the accelerator (=normal), but my L foot for the brake (= not at all normal and quite hard to learn) , as my feet have very little sense of their position.

By the time of the assessment, I had just begun to find my L foot occasionally slightly encroaching on the brake when it should have been right on the clutch, so the verdict was correct.

When I had mastered the new technique and bought a suitable car, I got in touch with the DVLA again, with a copy of the assessment, and received a 3-year licence to drive an automatic.

[Megan23]

I am lucky I passed my test in a automatic car so can only drive automatic's I revived a letter from DVLA a couple of days ago.now I have to wait to hear from the DVSA for a appointment have to have one in 21 days has DVLA want me to send them the appointment day and have to do it by 21st August my physio said they do them in our area so fingers crossed I get one in our area soon and get it over and done with DVSA said they are waiting on a email off DVLA before they can sort a appointment out for me

[Amanita]

Hi, Megan,

I had to look up the DVSA, and found they seem to be the people responsible for driving tests. I do find it rather baffling that you'll be examined by them rather than having a medical driving assessment.

I wish you the very best of luck.