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What Circumstances Require You To Notify DVLA

Drivers are required to notify the DVLA when their health or a medical condition affects their ability to drive safely. Failure to do so can result in large fines and/or prosecution, as well as insurance being invalidated if they are subsequently caught driving when they shouldn’t be, have an accident, or have had their licence medically revoked.

With plenty of possible illnesses, health conditions or disabilities affecting an individual’s ability to drive, you may be wondering just what circumstances require you to notify the DVLA. Read on to find out everything you need to know on this topic.

Which Circumstances Count

Drivers need to formally report any new medical condition, illness or disability that affects their driving, or if an existing condition gets worse and they become unfit to drive due to ill health. Police and medical professionals can also notify the DVLA if they have concerns about your fitness to drive. Doctors can also issue medical licence revocation notices to the DVLA which mean you are certified as unfit to drive and will have your driving licence revoked.

When provided with this information, the DVLA will make a decision on whether to let you keep your licence, impose restrictions on your licence or revoke it entirely on medical grounds. Failure to notify the DVLA could result in a fine of up to £1000 and failure to comply with licence restrictions or medical revocation could incur much larger fines or prosecution. You can find a full list of medical circumstances that you need to inform the DVLA about here.

When Do You Need A Lawyer?

What Circumstances Require You To Notify DVLA

Caddick Davies is a firm of experienced motor defence solicitors specialising in representing drivers that have had their driving licence revoked for medical reasons. If you think that your licence has been unfairly revoked on medical grounds, or if you need representation because you have been caught driving without a licence following medical revocation, or you have failed to voluntarily surrender your licence following a change in an existing medical condition or new health concern, then Caddick Davies can help.

 

Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today
Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for friendly advice

 

Our team works to give drivers the best chance of overturning the charges or fines made against them and appealing revocation of driving licences by establishing the facts to build a strong case against the charges or penalties issued and a defence counsel that can be relied on in court.

Read on to understand more about notifying the DVLA, what happens if you don’t, and how a Solicitor can help you.

When To Get In Touch With The DVLA

Drivers need to:

  • Let the DVLA know if they develop a ‘notifiable’ medical condition
  • Let the DVLA know if they develop a ‘notifiable’ disability
  • Let the DVLA know if their condition or disability has deteriorated since they obtained their licence

The Driving Vehicle and Licencing Authority (DVLA) holds records for all drivers, riders and vehicles in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It’s medical advisors have a responsibility to ensure that all group 1 and group 2 driving licence holders are fit to drive against agreed medical standards.

Group 1 drivers include cars and motorcycles and group 2 licence holders include large lorries and buses. Group 2 individuals have higher medical standards to comply with due to the larger size and weight of the vehicles they drive, and amount of time spent behind the wheel.

This means that the DVLA requires drivers to keep them updated with new information as it arises in relation to their health, in particular, any medical conditions and disabilities that may knowingly or unknowingly affect an individual’s ability to drive. This notification ensures that a proper assessment can take place and a final decision on an individual’s ability to drive safely can be provided by the DVLA.

Anyone can use the online conditions checker at gov.uk to see if their condition needs to be reported and from here, if the tool indicates that you need to inform the DVLA, you will be directed to the relevant form to complete or further information that you need.

I Have A Recent Diagnosis, Does DVLA Need To Know?

Recent diagnosis

Some conditions will be obvious in their ability to affect your ability to drive such as blackouts, strokes, diabetes, epilepsy, fainting, glaucoma, heart attacks, double vision or drug misuse for example. There are also plenty of more subtle conditions too that you may be surprised to hear also need to be reported to the DVLA. For example a cesarean section or anorexia.

It’s only natural to want to keep your health records private but when it comes to driving, sadly it’s not just your health at stake or convenience of driving, it’s the safety and wellbeing of your passengers and other road users too.

For this reason, it’s up to the DVLA to decide if you are able to drive safely following a medical diagnosis, and they have clear criteria for all conditions that they need to be notified about based on the class of vehicle you drive.

You should therefore follow the steps outlined above to check if your condition is listed as one to notify the DVLA about.

Will I Have To Give Up My Licence?

Not all health conditions require drivers to give up their licence. In some cases, a shorter licence will be issued so a medical review can take place after a set period of time, or adaptations to a car will be required in order for the driving licence to remain valid.

When the DVLA is notified in any of the circumstances above, they will consider the evidence available to them, including medical records and assessments made, in order to make a decision on whether the driver in question is able to keep their licence or whether it needs to be revoked on medical grounds.

Drivers must however give up their licence if any of the following are true:

  • your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more
  • your medical condition affects your ability to drive safely and lasts for 3 months or more
  • you do not meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition

Failure to Notify DVLA

If you fail to notify the DVLA about a new or existing medical condition that affects your driving, if you then have an accident, or are caught driving when you shouldn’t be, then you have broken the law and can face hefty fines and/or prosecution.

If you fail to notify to DVLA of medical conditions:

  • You could be fined up to £1000
  • If you have a serious accident and haven’t disclosed a condition, you could face prosecution
  • Your insurance may become void with no payout from the insurance company available.

What Happens After You Tell The DVLA?

What happens after you tell the DVLA

When you, the police or a medical professional notify the DVLA about matters relating to your health, it will consider the information provided and make their decision on your fitness to drive, usually within 6 weeks.

During this process, the DVLA might contact your doctor or consultant to get more information, arrange for you to be examined, ask you to take a driving assessment, eye test or driving test. Drivers will be notified by letter of the outcome and can usually keep driving whilst DVLA are making their decision.

If the outcome is that the licence holder is a risk to other road users, the DVLA will seek to revoke the driving licence on medical grounds which would mean that both group 1 or group 2 licence holders would no longer be able to drive.

What Could The Outcome Be?

When notified about a medical condition or disability that affects your driving, the DVLA must decide if it’s safe for you to keep your licence and if any restrictions or new criteria should be introduced to your licence.

The options available are;

  • To get a new driving licence
  • To offer a shorter driving licence of 1,2,3, or 5 years
  • Request adaptations to your car
  • To give up driving and give up your licence.

If you disagree with the DVLAs decision regarding your licence, you are able to appeal the decision in the local magistrates court within 6 months and should take advice from a qualified lawyer specialising in this area, like Caddick Davies Solicitors.

To stand a chance of overturning the decision, you will need to provide evidence or information that wasn’t originally submitted in the original assessment and prove that you do meet the required standards to hold a driving licence in the UK which will have been outlined in the letter the DVLA send to you notifying you of their decision.

How Can A Solicitor Help Me?

A specialist motoring defence solicitor can assist you when you are facing fines or prosecution relating to driving after the medical revocation of your licence, you are facing investigation on a medical revocation issue, if you have failed to notify the DVLA regarding a condition that affects your ability to drive, or if you want to start an appeal against a decision that has been made regarding your driving licence.

Contact a solicitor if:

  • You disagree with a medical revocation of your licence
  • You require defence in Court if convicted of driving without the correct driving licence
  • You are caught driving not in accordance with the terms of your driving licence
  • You want to appeal a decision made by the Courts or DVLA

In these cases, specialist motor defence solicitors like Caddick Davies can work with you to ensure that you are treated fairly by the courts, stand the best chance of being cleared of any wrongdoings, and that any action that is taken against you is minimised as much as possible.

Our primary objective is to defend the claims made against you and/or minimise any fine and penalty points imposed. Our team can support you through the process whether it’s related to  alcohol misuse or dependency and driving, epilepsy and driving, seizures and driving, or any other medical issue.

How Can We Help?

In any case relating to medical revocation of a driving licence, we will use our expertise and experience to identify any factual or technical defence which may be available so that we can ensure you have a strong case and fresh arguments in order to give you the best possible chance of a successful appeal outcome.

We will:

  • Review all the evidence of your case to establish the facts
  • Build a strong defence by gathering evidence and presenting your case
  • Represent you in Court
  • Provide legal advice throughout your case

Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today
Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for friendly advice


Related Questions

When Can The DVLA Investigate?

Although it is a drivers responsibility to notify the DVLA of any relevant medical conditions or disabilities, such as diabetes, stroke or cardiovascular issues, the DVLA can also investigate a drivers fitness to drive when any of the following scenarios apply:

  • Police raise concerns about a licence holder’s fitness to drive after an accident – for example if a driver showed signs of confusion or familiarity which could suggest dementia.
  • A licence holder is convicted and sentence for drink or drug related offences
  • A licence holders doctor notifies the DVLA of their diagnosis

Do I need to Tell The DVLA About A Blue Badge?

Do I need to tell the DVLA about a blue badge

 

A blue badge enables the owner of the badge to park closer to their destination in areas of on-street parking when traveling as either a passenger or a driver. As the badge is issued by local councils, it remains their property and responsibility to manage, so you do not need to tell the DVLA that you hold a blue badge.

If you are a driver and the disability or condition that you have requested a blue badge for affects your ability to drive, even if you have an adapted car, then you must tell the DVLA about this.

How To Re-apply For Driving Licence After Medical Condition?

If your driving licence has been surrendered or revoked due to a medical condition or illness then you will need to meet certain criteria in order to re-apply for it and must not start driving again until you are in possession of a valid driving licence.

To re-apply for a driving licence after having it removed either voluntarily or otherwise due to a medical condition or illness, you will need to have a doctor certify that you are medically fit to drive.

Once cleared to drive by a qualified medical professional, drivers will need to fill out a DL1 application form. Once received by the DVLA, they will send you any additional medical questionnaires which are required based on your input.

Summary

This article has given you an overview of what circumstances require you to notify the DVLA and how a lawyer specialising in motoring law can assist you if you are facing punishment for matters around driving following a medical revocation of your licence or you wish to appeal a decision made regarding your driving licence by the DVLA in consideration of a medical condition or illness.

In short, if you have any kind of illness, medical condition or disability that affects your ability to drive, you must notify the DVLA of this as soon as possible. If the DVLA is notified by you, the police or medical practitioner about concerns over your ability to drive safely, they will investigate your fitness to drive in order to determine if any conditions, restrictions or revocation need to be applied to your driving licence

We understand that having to surrender your licence, either permanently or on a temporary basis due to your health can be a distressing time, particularly if you rely on your ability to drive for the livelihood and well being of you or your family. If you are facing the consequences of driving when you shouldn’t be due to an undisclosed condition or medical revocation, then Caddick Davies can help.

From the simplest, to the most complex of cases, we are here to help. We start every enquiry with an informal discussion to get a clear understanding of your circumstances and are here to answer any questions that you may have in confidence.

Our leading team of motoring offence solicitors at Caddick Davies have a reputation for success when it comes to defending motorists charged with driving offences. We work with clients all over the UK and are rated in the top 20 law firms on TrustPilot. 

Motoring Lawyer at Caddick Davies Solicitors
Caddick Davies is recognised as one of England and Wales’ leading motoring law firms, offering specialist Speeding Solicitors, Drink Driving Solicitors & Dangerous Driving Solicitors.We provide advice and representation on all motoring offences including speeding, the avoidance of disqualification on penalty points or “totting up” (exceptional hardship), driving without due care and attention (careless driving), dangerous driving, drink driving, as well as a range of services related to medical revocation of a driving licence.
Neil Davies

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