informing DVLA

[Eltonsilver]

my husband is still in rehab after his tbi

I just had a thought should I have informed DVLA as he certainly won't be driving for the foreseeable, if ever.

[Pairofboots]

Hi, best to speak to the doctor. People think that you should inform DVLA about any head injury. There are circumstances where this is the case, but likewise there are times where this isn't required. It is purely case by case, based on the exact injury, and the recovery. The Dr is in the best place to assess this. Best wishes 🍀

[Eltonsilver in reply to Pairofboots]

Thanks for the reply I will speak to one of his team at the hospital

[john-boy-92 in reply to Eltonsilver]

If the medical view is don't drive and advise the DVLA, voluntarily suspend the licence. Once the DVLA revoke a licence, it's difficult to regain it even with support from relevant clinicians. I assume you are writing about a Class 1 (car and motorbike) licence and not a HGV Class 2 licence. Get the assessment in hospital.

[Blu37 in reply to john-boy-92]

Hi I have had conflicting advise about this so confused now , I have only just managed to get through to DVLA since my SAH happened in October it’s been a nightmare ,they said they will send me some medical forms to complete ( I can’t drive due to still lot of dizziness and balance ) if they say no driving which would be correct how I feel at moment is that when they revoke my license . Should I ignore forms and just send license back with a letter .

[Eltonsilver in reply to john-boy-92]

Yes just a car

[john-boy-92 in reply to john-boy-92]

You can fill out a form to voluntarily surrender your licence, but I haven't seen anything that says you must tell the DVLA and surrender your licence if you decide not to drive for say a year. The important thing is to take medical advice about when you are fit to drive. If you do restart driving, the insurance company must know beforehand, with details of the medical condition.

My experience of the DVLA is with the vision section. Six years ago I had a stroke that meant part of the peripheral vision is missing on the right hand side. The advice then was don't surrender your licence, the DVLA revoked it and now it's expired. I'm still fighting to get it back even though two GPs support my application and, I have proved adaption by the local authority certifying me to use powered hedgecutters in occupied public parks. In February 2018, the DVLA stated to the PHSO that the vision of people with my condition would not improve. Yet in May 2022 they are still refusing applications as people's vision has not improved. I applied in June 2021, and I'm still going through the process in August 2022, and that's without going to the ICA and PHSO!

[lcd8]

I think you are obliged to inform the DVLA and your insurance of any head injury. Otherwise your insurance could be annulled.

[Pairofboots in reply to lcd8]

Please see my entry above. Yes to insurance. 🍀

[Morinagirl]

The doctor in a and e told me to tell them. I think I got a form online. It's taken them a year to start processing this during which time my consultant told me he is happy for me to drive. So been driving well over 6 months. At no point did I surrender my licence

[Morinagirl]

What a lot of people may find useful is that there is a chat facility for dvla which I found through gov.uk. Handy because you can get a transcript sent to your email of the conversation to avoid any porkies being told on their part

[john-boy-92 in reply to Morinagirl]

The chat line is usually staffed by an administrator, not someone with medical knowledge. I was told that I couldn't apply to a magistrate's court; a solicitor advised that the DVLA are wrong.

[Nafnaf87]

Just keep quiet - if you surrender the licence it's a hell of a job to get it back.

I didn't drive after my accident, wasn't capable. Somebody told the DVLA and they wrote to me after about 4 years asking for my licence and I refused. There was a lot of back and forth and after about a year we discovered the somebody was my ex-wife. Eventually the DVLA gave in but I had to take a test. I did properly, got lessons and passed for the second time first time 🙂

I didn’t drive for another 5 years because I didn’t feel comfortable. I drive now and have for 10 years as long as I feel comfortable with it.

Please try to keep as much as you can within your control, not just driving. It is so easy to become demoralised and aimless.

Best wishes

Michael

[Eltonsilver in reply to Nafnaf87]

Thanks for that I don't think I will bother, John certainly isn't going to be driving for the foreseeable future, I just wasnt sure what to do.

[plc38]

I don't think I'll be driving at all...ever. I never could drive before the RTA in 96 and I suffer from fatigue and balance problems. I'm 50.

[Alb64]

Hi,I returned my husbands driving licence on his behalf,as after his brain injury he could no longer read or write.I spoke to him about it and he knew he wouldn't be able to ever drive again.

[Trevor78]

There's only a potential problem IMO when & if he starts to drive again so I'm not sure that I'd do anything at this point? If the time comes when hopefully he's able to drive again then make sure that you follow this advice gov.uk/head-injury-and-driving - you do not want to lose control of the process because, as has been said, getting the licence revoked is the last thing that you want. I surrendered my licence when I went from paper licence to photo licence (you don't necessarily need to do that but is the route that I took). This is the form that you may or may not need to complete assets.publishing.service.g... - don't forget the insurance company either who should be notified in future if he drives & there are any changes to his fitness from the original completed form. Perhaps you could cancel the current policy & get a refund if the remainder is not going to be used? - these are just my thoughts based on my experience. Any decisions are for you and your husband to agree on.

[Eltonsilver in reply to Trevor78]

We are both on the insurance policy so I need to keep it going. Thanks for the advice Trev it's really helpful

[Trevor78 in reply to Eltonsilver]

I forgot to add, that when I'd completed the requested forms & received a call (surprisingly) from my GP saying that DVLA had been in touch so we just discussed that there were no issues of concern, I then received a letter from DVLA saying that they'd concluded their investigation and I was fine to re-apply for my licence when ready. That's what I did and the licence popped through the door soon after.

[Mads1975]

It’s a difficult one. I suffered with TB Meningitis and was told not to drive by my consultant. I started driving 6 months later after my wife and I split and I’d had a lesson and assessment with a driving instructor.

As it happened I was OK but admit that I had a near miss in the first month. However I think each case is different and depends how the injury affects you. I would suggest to be guided by the information on the DVLA website if or when your husband thinks about wanting to drive again

[Eltonsilver in reply to Mads1975]

Thank you. I think it will be a long while before he drives again. Just wasn't sure how it worked

[RogerCMerriman]

The advice from the DVLA is that if they aren’t told essentially you do have to prove to drive again, where as if you volunteered your license it’s a bit easier, my experience is though getting on for 10 years!

Certainly I rang up, I sent off my license.

After 6 months even though the GP hadn’t sent the forms back DVLA where happy for me to drive as they had my details and eventually I got a shiny new physical license!

[miracleman]

Don't know if this will help, fear it might just confuse things! However here goes:- I had a severe TBA 2008. I was in A&E on life support for a week, moved to critical care for another fortnight. In total I was in hospital for 6 months. I don't remember much of 3 months, having had to re-learn absolutely everything. To walk, to speak ect. It took me over 4 months to even start to re-learn how to read. When I came out of hospital, I still had my car sitting on the drive, my Wife had not informed the DVLA of my accident & condition, she was more interested in visiting me and my 3 sons, and how would our life carry on. She had assumed that either the hospital or GP would have contacted the DVLA, and nobody told her that they should have been informed. At first there was no question of me driving, my double fracture of the skull, and not being discovered for 7+ hours, had left me with very poor eyesight. With my wife having returned to work, and me returning to work on light duties, and my teenage boys needed lifts 12 months after my accident I started to investigate returning to driving. I wrote twice to Swansea and didn't received a response. I phoned them and after weeks of ringing, not able to speak to anyone I gave up. My eyes were operated on and I decided to try again. After a couple of abortive attempts, and being left listening to music for hours, I FINALLY got to speak to a person! I explained my situation. She said, that the length of time I was unconscious for if I had informed them, would have lead to 6 months suspension to my licence, and that was up, as it was now nearly 2 years after my accident, and that if they received a letter from my consultant, I would have their permission to drive. Of course if I had surrendered my license I would have had the problem of getting it back! I believe that can be a nightmare!

My son was having driving lessons, so after chatting to instructor, he went with me while I drove my car for just over an hour. I had done a small amount of driving at work in the car park in a workmates car, in preparation. He said that in his opinion I was perfectly safe to drive, and said all I needed was to gain more experience.

I don't know what injury your husband had, and although I believe you should declare it to the DVLA, if you can avoid it I would. This of course places a degree of responsibility on you & him. If you don't, and have an accident!

Hope my experience is of help! Contacting the DVLA was a NIGHTMARE!!!!! be warned!

[Eltonsilver in reply to miracleman]

Thank you miracleman and I'm so pleased you recovered well. My husband has been in hospital nearly 9.months after a severe head injury from falling down stairs. He has had a titanium plate put in and he is in rehab now, walking well can do most things by himself, but still gets confused in his speech which is improving all the time. I am hopeful for the future for him.

[miracleman]

All the best for you and your husband in the future with his recovery. My bang on the head was 14 years ago, I know how hard recovery can be for the friends and family of the survivor! Good luck for the coming years, I hope you are as fortunate we have been, with support from family friends and my former work colleagues. All the best