DVLA

[scrambledbrain]

Hi. I never realised I had to inform DVLA of my brain injury. I have been extremely lucky in that I dont have any physical disabilities eg left or right side of my bidy etc. It never occurred to me to tell DVLA. It was only when I was looking at Facebook and read a Headway posting about it. I'm going to my Headway tomorrow so that they can help me with the phonecall but I was wondering if anyone else has experience of this ? Did you have to stop driving, what questions were you asked etc etc. I only drive locally as too anxious to drive anywhere else. If I need to go anywhete else a Buddy from Headway takes me.

[Hidden]

I think you will find they will need a letter from your neurologist and you may have to take a special test, just to be sure you are safe on the road.

[StrawberryCream]

You brain injury may not affect your ability to drive but you do legally have to inform the DVLA. If you don't and you are involved in an accident you will invalidate your insurance. Even if you are not to blame your medical notes will be checked and you could end up getting blamed! There are actually lots of conditions that the DVLA should be advised about but it doesn't always mean you will be stopped from driving. Obviously with a brain injury it can affect your ability to process the road information and response time etc etc. It's not about physical disability but cognitive damage. If your brain injury has resulted in epilepsy then you have to be 'fit free' for a year before you can apply to get your licence back. If you go onto the DVLA website you will find the list of conditions that have to be notified and what to do. On the gov.uk website you can do the initial notification online.

[StrawberryCream]

This is off the gov.uk website -

You need to tell DVLA about some medical conditions as they can affect your driving.

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.

You must give up your licence if either:

your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more

you don’t meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition

A

Absence seizures

Acoustic neuroma

Addison’s disease

Agoraphobia

AIDS

Alcohol problems

Alzheimer’s disease

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amputations

Angina

Angioma

Angioplasty

Ankylosing spondylitis

Anorexia nervosa

Anxiety

Aortic aneurysm

Arachnoid cyst

Arnold-Chiari malformation

Arrhythmia

Atrial defibrillator

Arteriovenous malformation

Arthritis

Asperger syndrome

Ataxia

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)

B

Balloon angioplasty (leg)

Bipolar disorder

Blackouts

Blepharospasm

Blood clots

Blood pressure

Brachial plexus injury

Brain abscess, cyst or encephalitis

Brain aneurysm

Brain angioma

Brain haemorrhage

Brain injury (traumatic)

Brain tumours

Branch retinal vein occlusion

Broken limbs and driving

Burr hole surgery

C

Caesarean section

Cancer

Cataracts

Catheter ablation

Cardiac problems

Carotid artery stenosis

Cataplexy

Cerebral palsy

Chronic aortic dissection

Cognitive problems

Congenital heart disease

Convulsions

Coronary artery bypass or disease

Coronary angioplasty

Cystic fibrosis

D

Deafness

Defibrillator

Déjà vu

Dementia

Depression

Diabetes

Diabetic retinopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Diplopia (double vision)

Dizziness

Drug misuse

E

Eating disorders

Empyema (brain)

Epilepsy

Essential tremor

F

Fainting

Fits

Fractured skull

Friedreich’s ataxia

G

Giddiness (recurring)

Glaucoma

Global amnesia

Grand mal seizures

Guillain-Barré syndrome

H

Head injury

Heart attack

Heart arrhythmia

Heart failure

Heart murmurs

Heart palpitations

Heart valve disease or replacement valve

Hemianopia

High blood pressure

HIV

Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Huntington’s disease

Hydrocephalus

Hypertension

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypoglycaemia

Hypoxic brain damage

Hysterectomy

I

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)

Intracerebral haemorrhage

Ischaemic heart disease

K

Kidney dialysis

Kidney problems

Korsakoff’s syndrome

L

Labyrinthitis

Learning difficulties

Left bundle branch block

Leukaemia

Lewy body dementia

Limb disability

Low blood sugar

Lumboperitoneal shunt

Lung cancer

Lymphoma

M

Macular degeneration

Malignant brain tumours

Malignant melanoma

Manic depressive psychosis

Marfan syndrome

Medulloblastoma

Memory problems (severe)

Meningioma

Mini-stroke

Monocular vision

Motor neurone disease

Multiple sclerosis

Myasthenia gravis

Myocardial infarction

Myoclonus

N

Narcolepsy

Night blindness

Nystagmus

O

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Obstructive sleep apnoea

Optic atrophy

Optic neuritis

P

Pacemakers

Palpitations

Paranoia

Paranoid schizophrenia

Paraplegia

Parkinson’s disease

Peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral neuropathy

Personality disorder

Petit mal seizures

Pituitary tumour

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Psychosis

Psychotic depression

R

Renal dialysis

Retinal treatment

Retinopathy

S

Schizo-affective disorder

Schizophrenia

Scotoma

Seizures

Sight in one eye only

Sleep apnoea

Sleepiness (excessive daytime)

Spinal problems and injuries and driving

Stroke

Subarachnoid haemorrhage

Surgery

Syncope

T

Tachycardia

Temporal lobe epilepsy

Tonic clonic fits

Tourette’s syndrome

Transient global amnesia

Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)

Tunnel vision

U

Usher syndrome

V

Valve disease or replacement valve

Ventricular defibrillator

Vertigo

Vision in one eye only

Visual acuity (reduced)

Visual field defects

VP shunts

W

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

[blackperil]

After my concussion I notified the DVLA and they rescinded my licence for 6 Months due to double vision and the risk of black outs.

I had to fill out 2 forms, I think one just covered my meds as I take nortriptyline and it can make you drowsy. I had to provide all the evidence from Doctors and an driver eye test to get my license back. DVLA have also removed my entitlement to drive a minibus and LGW.

The general advise seems to be to consult your GP first and if they say you are okay to drive then get a letter and send it in with the forms.

Not sure about doing it via the phone. I am sure Headway will know more.

[scrambledbrain]

Thanks for all your feedback. Nobody has ever said to me to not drive. Headway helped me fill out the declaration form today and online it says you can continue to drive until you get the decision from DVLA which should take about 6 weeks. Since my AVM i have mental fatigue and cognitively a little slower.

[sealiphone]

You may well be allowed to continue driving but from everything you've said I wouldn't want my daughter in your car. You really need to consider how complex driving a car is and the risk involved if your abilities are compromised.

I'd not be told not to drive but I returned my license as there was no way I would have had my 7 year old daughter as a passenger.

As I know I'd be a risk to others I've never considered seeking a new license, even though it's very inconvenient