Driving after Brain Surgery

One of the big concerns a lot of people have when they have a severe illness or injury is how it will impact their independence, specifically their driving. If you have to have brain surgery there is enough for you to worry about without having concerns about your driving licence.

It is likely that in the lead up to your surgery you will already have spoken with your doctor about driving and you may have already surrendered your licence. If you have a condition requiring brain surgery and you haven’t spoken to your doctor about driving yet then you should do so as soon as possible. If you have a condition that restricts you from driving and you are caught then you could face fines of £1,000, and if you are in an accident you could be prosecuted.

Will I be able to drive after my brain surgery?

Brain surgery is an extensive term, covering simple procedures as well as severe cases, but any type of surgery involving your brain could affect your fitness to drive. If you have had brain surgery you will need to notify the DVLA and you will need to speak to your doctor about driving restrictions if you haven’t already.

You will not be able to drive immediately after surgery, but there are different laws for different types of surgery and in some cases you might only need to wait a short time to start driving again. Your driving restriction could last from a few months to a few years depending on your condition and recovery.

Will my licence be taken away from me?

Once you have alerted the DVLA to your condition they will speak to your medical consultants and assess your case. You may be asked to surrender your licence until you are fit to drive. It is always best to willingly surrender your licence if you are asked to, as it is a lot easier to get your licence back if it was willingly surrendered.

Not all brain surgery and conditions leading to brain surgery result in losing your licence, so be sure to speak to your doctor about your specific condition.  There is further guidance on specific conditions on the government website, where you can also find the forms to notify the DVLA about your condition.

How long will I have to wait until I can drive again?

Your doctor will be able to advise you, but generally for simple surgery you are looking at 1-6 months, and for more complex surgery, that time is more likely to be over a year. This also changes if you drive a Group 2 Bus or Lorry, which has heavier restrictions. You might have to stop driving heavy vehicles for up to 5 years.

After your surgery, you can apply to get your licence back. When you surrendered your licence, you would have received a letter with instructions on how to do this from the DVLA along with a time frame. You can reapply 8 weeks before the expected date you should be able to drive again. The DVLA will reassess your case and consult with your doctor before either returning your licence or issuing a new one. 

What if I believe my licence was wrongly revoked?

If your licence has been revoked for medical reasons and you believe the decision was wrong, then you should contact a solicitor who specialises in licences revoked for medical reasons. We at Caddick Davies have years of experience and expertise and we can offer you a free consultation to advise you on how you can get back into the driver’s seat as soon as possible.