Certain health conditions could impact your driving ability
Motorists are being cautioned that they could face a fine of up to £1,000 if they do not inform the DVLA about certain health issues. Failure to disclose specific mental health conditions could lead to a substantial penalty.
As per the Government website, drivers must alert the DVLA about any medical conditions that could impact their driving ability. This encompasses a wide range of physical health issues, including common ones such as diabetes, arthritis and high blood pressure, as well as mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
However, this is only necessary if these conditions would impair your driving capabilities. If your driving isn’t affected by your mental health condition, there’s no need to notify the DVLA. The GOV.UK site advises: “Ask your doctor if you’re unsure.”
It’s clearly stated in the DVLA rules that motorists must report any medical conditions that could affect their driving to the authorities as soon as possible, reports the Express.
The warning states: “You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving.”
Once a condition has been declared, specialists will review the evidence and determine the next steps.
The Government website further explains: “Your application may take longer than usual if it needs to be referred to a doctor (unless you’re applying for a bus or lorry licence). You can usually keep driving while DVLA are considering your application.”
Mental health conditions
Notifiable conditions are categorised as any condition that could potentially impact your ability to drive safely. The DVLA lists several mental health conditions as potential notifiable conditions, including:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Manic depressive psychosis (severe episodes in bipolar disorder)
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Paranoia
- Paranoid schizophrenia
- Personality disorder
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Psychosis
- Psychotic depression
- Schizo-affective disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Severe depression
Physical health conditions
There are also some physical medical conditions included in the list:
- Diabetes or taking insulin
- Syncope (fainting)
- Heart conditions (including atrial fibrillation and pacemakers)
- Sleep apnoea
- Epilepsy
- Strokes
- Glaucoma
- Blood pressure issues
- Blood clots
Surrendering your licence
You have the option to voluntarily surrender your licence. You might opt for this if, for instance:
- Your doctor tells you to stop driving for three months or more
- Your medical condition affects your ability to drive safely and lasts for three months or more
- You do not meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition
To verify if your health condition is considered notifiable, you can search on the Government website here.
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