Getting back to driving

[Franny7]

I am now starting to think about the process of getting back to driving and getting an adapted car. I would be very interested to hear others' experience of this process and whether they were able to successfully resume driving and how it all felt. Thanks for your help.I have just had my eyes retested as a starting point and the optician told me that my distance vision has slightly improved!

[elizabethfleming]

i am not back to driving yet and would love to try have lost my confidence i have an automatic car which evert one else drves i wish u all the sucsess as a would love to get back to driving but keep getting told my cocintration is an issue good luck

[Franny7 in reply to elizabethfleming]

thanks Did they do cognition test on you before the said concentration was an issue? I think my concentration is fine- but its not easy to assess this sort of thing yourself.

[elizabethfleming in reply to Franny7]

yes first time made total mess of it second time missed by 1 persent waiting on word to go to edinbrough but dont no if a want to put ma self through the worry but i needmy car for work in home care and cant do my job with out car but i do now no a went back to work far to soon had stroke nov 15 and went back to work july this year and didnt cope very well and am now back on the sick

[Franny7 in reply to elizabethfleming]

It sounds like you almost made it and had the determination to try again which is great. I understand the assessment services do what they can to try and get people back to driving if it's possible. If they are encouraging you it might be worth another try. Driving is not absolutely essential for my job but it would make it a lot easier to return to work. To be honest the main thing I crave is the independence to be able to leave the house and go somewhere without having to make elaborate arrangements for absolutely every little thing. Best of luck take care.

[elizabethfleming in reply to Franny7]

they want let me try again as they say there would be practising issues and it would nt be clear enough a miss driving and the independense it gives u my work are making me look at switching to something else as i cant walk far or drive,a keep trying to do things far to soon get so inpatent a week feels like a month thus year has been so long /u going to look at driving againkeep thinking this stupid stroke no wasting ma life.then a come back down to earth and think no what a gave it ma pest shot and failed

[elizabethfleming in reply to Franny7]

how u finding your care after stroke some seem to get great help and others are just left to get on with it any help i have tryed to get had to find fof my self as i gott out ofhospital xmas eve and they said they would contact me after holidayseason and still waiting

[elizabethfleming in reply to Franny7]

did u do ot assesment or edinbrough or both dont think my concintration is there but keep getting told it early days but am nearly one year down the line and feel am not getting any better still get a lot of pain in week side .just get so flustrated as no one gives a straght answer

[6regor]

I applied to the DVLA to get my licence back and was told there was a 9 week delay at each step of the way (3 times)and that I need ed a letter from my GP which I had included with my application and I had an assessment ad my local nhs sponsored assessment Centre around the industrial estate (they can only give their opinion regarding my general safety on the road to the DVLA for their decision) and was told I should get 4 to 6 hours practice with a driving instructor, using an adapted car(using a lodgsons controller) (it was really difficult to find a suitable instructor)and return for the second part of the assessment in "real traffic" using roundabouts and dual carriageways and at greater speeds. the result of the second part was that they felt I wasn't sufficiently confident at grabbing a space where it arose on roundabouts etc(hardly surprising in a car that handled very differently and after a 2 year off the road gap.and have proposed further practice in these areas, with a reassessment,They wanted me to be more assertive on the road when I was on the side of caution, giving way to others too often so I'm awaiting a letter from the dvla just now. best of luck to you #Franny7

[elizabethfleming in reply to 6regor]

i have been told i will now need to go throw to edinbrough and there is a 6 month waiting list and if they say a can drive then that is it they will get my licnce back.hope u keep trying as it not fair

[6regor in reply to elizabethfleming]

Tue #elizabethfleming, frommy point of view being allowed to get into the car I will be driving in future and THEN having a couple more instructor sessions , but in a car that will not handle really differently to what I shall be driving once on my own would make far more sense. AsI have frequently said - when you've been driving as log as I have having your licence taken away is like losing a limb;-( 'n sure you'll get there if only, like me to spite them and prove they were wrong do keep at it #elizabethfleming

[Franny7]

Hello thanks for your reply it sounds like you are nearly there I hope you get your D the L a result soon.

Someone else mentioned lots of delays which suggests to me I should start the ball rolling sooner rather than later but I have had mixed messages from the OT's I have spoken to one suggested I needed to wait a year post strokeI am concerned that the longer I leave it the less driving confidence I will have so feels like a Catch-22. Thanks again for letting me know your experience good luck.

[elizabethfleming in reply to Franny7]

every one tells u diffrent things

[Franny7 in reply to elizabethfleming]

that's very true,and infuriating!

[elizabethfleming in reply to Franny7]

i think as they say the best improvment takes a year u better to wait dont be like me and try do things to quick as it just makes things worse whent back to work to quick and have been now that as i said my memory wasnt great that i am now a health and safty issue even though thet didnt do anything to see if my memory was as bad as i think if its importaant i do remember just flustrated

[elizabethfleming in reply to Franny7]

JUST GOT WORD BACK FROM EDINBROUGH AND THEY HAVE SAIG IT CAN TAKE UP TO 20 WEEKS IF I HAD KNOWIN IT WAS SO MUCH HASSIL A WOULDNT HAVE LET THE DVLA NO ABOUT THE STUPID STROKE NO ONE TELLS U IT A LOT OF HASSIL TO GET LICENSE BACK THEY JJUST TELL U TO SEND IT BACK WOULD LOVE TO SAY NO WHAT U SEND YPURS BACK AND SEE HOW U MANAGE JUST SO FLUSTRATING

[davebuck]

one of the first things that happened to me was the dvla taking my pcv licence off me. I still can, and do, drive an ordinary geared car although i do have problems with the clutch.

I think it is only a matter of time before i voluntarily recind my licence. My main problem now is that i am very slow with decision making, which isn't very helpful in heavy traffic and multi lanes.

Simple journeys on routes i know well are now the norm.

[elizabethfleming in reply to davebuck]

if u are in your own area u no the road and what roads to try and avoid just need to keep going as far as they will allow u it as if once u get out the hospital they just no intrested and get u off there books as soon as they can

[elizabethfleming in reply to davebuck]

WELL DONE FOR KEPPINNG UR LICENSE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND HAVING THE COURAGE TO KEEP TRYING A WOULD JUST STICK TO THE AAFE ROADS THAT U NO FOR NOWJUST WISH I HADNT TOLD THEM A WAS A DRIVER IN THE FIRST PLACE

[7dogs]

I had my stroke 22 years ago now, so things may be different now, I felt ready to drive after 2 years - I wanted my independence back. I had informed the DVLA, and had a couple of refresher lessons with an instructor, and then submitted myself for a retest, in which I drove an automatic car. Following the test - the examiner said I could drive any car, even a lorry provided it was an automatic, and suggested a ball on the steering wheel to assist me with my weak side. I have now been driving successfully for the last 20 years

[Franny7 in reply to 7dogs]

Thanks!

[Hidden]

Did the optician test that your field of vision is at least 120 degrees and at least 50 degrees either side of fixation? This is required by the DVLA in line with EU requirements. My health stats and aerobic activity made me an unlikely candidate for the stroke that happened in July this year. I lost my sight on the right-hand side and although I've held a clean licence for 50 years, the DVLA have taken it away because of the 120 degree requirement.

[Franny7 in reply to Hidden]

he told me my vision was well within the driving requirements