In total there are 182 different medical conditions that need to be declared to the DVLA which they consider could affect someone’s ability to drive safely, but many of these are not as obvious as others and are not being declared by many motorists who suffer from them.
If you suffer from one of these 182 different conditions and are involved in an accident, and have not notified the DVLA about this condition, you could face a £1,000 fine plus prosecution. It is important that all drivers are aware of exactly what they need to declare to avoid this.
Five medical conditions you must declare
The list of medical conditions which need to be declared to the DVLA consists of 182 separate issues, but many of these may not have been considered by motorists due to them not realising the affect they could have on their ability to drive.
The website; LeaseCar.co.uk carried out research on the most common conditions that drivers may not be aware of which they need to declare to the DVLA and this is the top five which people should be alerted about:
1. Déjà vu
Although many people suffer from déjà vu every now and again the DVLA need to know if you have medically induced déjà vu which can be associated with epilepsy. This type of déjà vu is caused by a neurological anomaly which could affect an individual’s ability to drive, but those who get ‘standard’ déjà vu occasionally do not need to declare this.
2. Labyrinthitis (ear-ache)
Linked to an inflamed Labyrinth, which can be found deep within the ear, Labyrinthitis can cause headaches and hearing loss at different levels of severity, and often passes in a few weeks. However, it can also cause vertigo which may last a bit longer, and if a motorist is suffering from this it may make it dangerous for them to drive.
3. Sleep apnoea (sleep apnea)
A relatively common condition, sleep apnoea refers to when the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep which affects both breathing and sleeping patterns. This can lead to sleep deprivation which could result in the individual falling asleep behind the wheel. The DVLA have stated that anyone suffering from sleep deprivation for any reason should not be driving, whether this is due to sleep apnoea or any other condition. However, you can undergo treatment which will allow you to drive as normal, although the DVLA should still be informed.
4. Eating disorders
Due to causing the sufferer to feel weak and dizzy, those who have eating disorders may be unable to drive safely which is why if you have an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa, you must inform the DVLA in order to cover yourself should you be involved in an accident.
5. Arthritis
Another common condition, arthritis affects around 10 million people in the UK and causes pain and discomfort in the joints of the individual. Any pain felt in the joints of the hands, spine, knees and hips could mean that the sufferer is unable to drive safely, and the DVLA should be notified if you use special controls or if your doctor believes they should know.
How to report a condition
If you feel that you may have a condition which could affect your driving you can access the full list on the gov.uk website.
If your condition does appear on this list you simply need to contact the DVLA who will be able to log this for you. You will be required to give up your driving licence if your doctor tells you that you must stop driving for 3 months or more, or if your medical condition means that you don’t meet the required standards for driving.
It is also important to know that this may affect you even if you suffered from the condition historically, so it is always safest to check this with the DVLA if you are unsure.
Were you aware of how many different conditions needed to be declared to the DVLA? Are there any on the list which surprise you? Let us know in the comments below.
Report yourself ? big joke for many unfit drivers now still driving on the roads
Theres another condition called drivelikeat**titis which can cause accidents and affect those around you on the road. This should be one of the top 3.
Dazza — LOL!! Well said! I think Audi drivers seem to be affected by this, more than most!! LOL
No . I think BMW drivers come much higher on the list than any other.
What surprises me about bmw drivers is non of their indicators work but their fog light work overtime and their headlights can flash at you for overtaking in front of them even 1/2 mile down the road
You report anything and even if it is long time gone (cured) the bandits called insurance companies (or proper: insurance mafia) will punish you by increasing your premium.
No they don’t. As long as you don’t have any serious restrictions on your licence, then if you use the proper form of words, it has no effect on your premiums. I had a brain haemorrhage and subsequent mobility issues some time ago – I reported to DVLA, was investigated and found fit to drive a car. I can’t drive for hire or reward and cannot drive anything larger than a box van.
It has no effect on what I pay on my car insurance each year.
II was worried about reporting sleep apnea to my insurance company, I have a restricted driving licence of 3 years now, I finally declared it to my insurance and my premiums never went up, nor at my renewal, as long as I have my specialist/doctors letter to say I’m fit to drive as long as I use CPAP therapy every night for at least 4 hours then they won’t increase it as it’s discrimination.
me to …
First question. Do medical conditions cause significant numbers of serious accidents. If so there should be a compulsory medical at least when licenses are renewed at 70. Paid for by the person having the medical. This should be rolled out so everyone has one every 10 years. This should be in conjunction with a speed awareness type course as most people (like me) get no training in driving all their lives. It is a big logistical exercise but would make the roads safer and more pleasant for all. Good job creator!
Think on young man, you will be old one day and maybe disabled, how would you like it if some clever little f*** like you wanted to take your only means of transport away from you, think on young man..
Think on OLD man, (I’m 68). Of course there should be regular health checks for everybody. I’ll need to sign a declaration in 2 years time when I reach 70, but thats all. No medical, no compulsory eye test, nothing. As a wearer of glasses, I have regular eye tests, (had mine yesterday), but there is NO legal requirement to have my sight checked or my health tested to see if I’m physically or mentally safe and able to control 2 tonnes of motor vehicle plus my caravan. How would YOU feel if you injured or even killed a person with your car if it was proved that you shouldn’t have been driving, even though YOU were too ignorant to admit you shouldn’t have been behind the wheel. Think on old man!!
Good on you Mike ! Said the right thing. Some people need to spend a week shadowing in A&E department. Wouldn’t be so quick to scorn then! I have very unpleasant memories of RTA ‘s caused by drivers who shouldn’t have been driving. Unfortunately those memories will never leave me! So think on OLD man!
It has to be done by the medical profession as people will not do it. Who is monitoring this……
Doctors can only inform the DVLA if the driving would put people at risk and the driver will not contact the DVLA – otherwise they will not inform.
Agreed. We checked and the NHS has a policy not to inform the DVLA but recommend that the individual takes responsibility. If and when reported, the for to the DVLA asks for the specialist name etc and then the DVLA contacts them.
Of course if you have some conditions and decide to drive and then involved in an accident even if not due to that condition, it could be taken into account
I have seen many people struggling to get into cars which are unadapted for disability. How can they brake quickly in an emergency. Reckon many told to stop driving but won’t.
So you go up to them and look in their car to for adaption and exam the driver to see both their legs, feet or ankles are bad enough not to be able to drive a modern car safely? I think not!
182 declarable conditions? That has to be a typical bureaucratic monstrosity. That would clear our roads overnight, especially of HGV’s, the drivers of which have to be the most unfit of our society.
However, and joking apart, from reading just that short list, it surely has to occur to one that possibly 50% of those driving should not be doing so. Indeed, it is said the at least 80% of the population suffers from some from of spinal or lower back/pelvic disorder. An immediate resolution to our roads congestion perhaps? How can it be enforced? Compulsory medical declarations from one’s GP, for all 182 conditions for all drivers, regardless of age? The NHS would collapse. How is one to learn of a condition which may not be obvious to one? One cannot readily have a decent and extensive medical examination now, unless one is prepared to pay an obscene fee. What’s more, being young does not necessarily ensure one’s fitness to drive. Many young people are now grossly unfit and obese.
As may be gathered, I am now a ‘old’ driver and relinquished my higher gvw rating at the age of 70. Then, when I needed to re-grade my licence for over 3500 gvw about four years ago, that cost me £90 with my GP and even then he did not examine me properly. I downloaded the forms. I ticked the boxes. He signed the form and took the ninety quid!
However, that could become a nice little earner for our self professed hard pressed GP’s and could also have the bonus of attracting more medical students into becoming GP’s of which I understand we are desperately short.
It’s just absolute civil service nonsense!
we would have some of the richest doctors in the world if everyone is paying £90.00 a throw, but I remember paying £ 85.00 for my HGV licence medical back in 1995,
This government is a joke, if they keep b******g about like this, diesel ,new mot rules, now medical rules we will have the emptiest roads in the world and a bankrupt government.
The medical rules are not new although some have changed in more recent times.
Declaring a medical condition doesn’t automatically ban you from driving such as macular degeneration of the eye you can drive with one eye provided you meet the eyesight rule of reading a number plate and no one has told you you’re not fit to drive each person that declares a problem will be evaluated by DVLA medical team before losing their licence
So if you travelled on a train and the driver was medically unfit to drive it that would be alright would it?
Train Drivers are subject to regular routine and age related medical assessments and are prevented from driving if they do not meet the required standards.
Well Stephen, that didn’t stop a driver from falling asleep and taking a bend at an inappropriate speed. People were hurt.
Stephen simply pointed out that train drivers, (like all rail workers,) are subject to regular routine and age related medical assessments, unlike the bulk of motorists. However, that’s not going to stop some driver having a late night and thinkling he will still be OK the following day. How would you ever catch that? Examine every driver at the start of every shift? LG.
try working at an esso refinery after a night out – your barred for life
That’s a bit harsh
Especially if they had to drive the train from Edinburgh to London and back. The safety systems on our railways are substantial and prevent the majority of potential accidents but potential accidents are not news. We only hear of the accidents when the system has failed and every such accident has an inquiry following which there are numerous changes to the rules and frequently new technology or mechanical changes are introduced across the whole rail industry as well.
As for the roads and these health conditions, the system is created and run by people living in cities with no idea of what it is like to lose your license for 3 months in rural Britain, where a vehicle is a necessity not a luxury. The vast majority of drivers that need a vehicle are responsible enough to know if they are fit enough to be safe on the roads and act accordingly
There is no standard cost to the HGV medical, you need to shop around as they say, my last but cost me £100 by my own doctor, which wasn’t very strict, tick the boxes and the Question “how do you feel” the next time I found a doctor to do it for £44 and his was very strict down to the underpants type strict if you know what I mean, I gave up driving heavies before the next one.
The licence application/renewal form gives the list.
The “medical profession” (GP) wouldn’t tell my Mum she couldn’t drive after her Alzheimer’s disease progressed, so I don’t hold out much hope there! This was when she told him she was often getting lost, and once ended up on a dual carriageway rather than the country lane she wanted and drove on weekly.
I had to inform DVLA myself, which was a hatd thing to do as a family member.
New DVLA guidelines came in for Sleepapnoea last month in MARCH. Anyone with mild sleepapnoea (0 to 10) is not required to report it to the DVLA. This is assuming that you are undergoing treatment
The Sleepapnoea Trust (www.sleep-apnoea-trust.org) recommends that if this is the case then do not report as many who have, have lost their driving licenses and are now fighting to get them back. They also suggest that writing to the DVLA is better that the forms with marginal cases
I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea last year and was told by the specialist I had to advise DVLA which I did Online I had a nice letter from them telling me I could drive whilst they contacted my specialist as I was receiving my treatment they contacted my specialist who advised them my treatment was working DVLA then wrote to me to say I was safe to drive although I had chosen not to drive myself until I received this letter. This took a couple of months.I changed my car and then the insurance was due I insured through LV who had not asked if I had any declaration to DVLA I rang them and they said they were happy I had the letter and my insurance did not go up
Same for me
I heard that as many as 30% of drivers have eyesight problems serious enough to affect their ability to drive safely. Why is there still no annual eye test, which is, for example, obligatory in Australian states?
Good on Australia!
Not only in Australia do you have to have an eye test, in Germany too, you also have to do a first aid course.
Totally agree at least evey 2 years eye test should take place and should be compulsory if not take lose licence. No one should be driving of they need glasses and either won’t wear them or are unaware This is a serious problem on our roads cannot understand why the government don’t do something about this.
Reason nothing is done Moira is because the evidence does not show that there have been sufficient accidents of a sufficiently serious nature to merit the extra bureaucracy entailed by a huge testing programme.
I get my eyes tested every 2 years. I war varifocals and buy two pairs of specs – one for daily wear and one to keep in my car in case something happnes to the daily use ones. Expensive – yes – but that way I’ve always got spare specs with the correct prescription for driving.
My brother in law in Australia drives with tunnel vision! No periphery vision at all so doubt very much that there is obligatory eye testing. They live in Queensland. He s 90 this year.
Make sure the DVLA respond to your declaration as they have a habit of not recording them and accusing you of not declaring them which could drastically affect your insurance cover.
Beware!
Yet the largest condition affecting drivers – poor eyesight – isn’t even on this list. I am convinced that every time I see hesitation (like not pulling out at large roundabouts when a car is visible in the distance) is because they can’t see properly. It should be mandatory to submit the results of regular eye tests to the DVLA. I recall a figure of a third of drivers not being able to see properly.
Actually it is a legal requirement to be able to read a number plate from the required distance.
The problem is once reporting an incident , I had a fall and banged my head. I told teh DVLA and they promptly suspended my licence for six months but getting it back was a bureaucratic nightmare that took over three months so the ‘ban’ was over nine months. Of course I never had any illness ,fainting,collapsing ,fits etc.during that time at all. Meanwhile loonies drive about never even looking up from their phones.
My brother-in-law had a nasty fall in a game of indoor footie and suffered a “head injury” that required reporting to the DVLA. Same experience to get his licence reinstated.
Whilst it was almost certainly correct to suspend the licence for a period, the mandatory minimum of 6 months ignores any and all opinions from Drs and Neuro experts in the ensuing period that all is fine and the person can get back to normal life.
No wonder then that people don’t always do the right or legal thing. I have since come across several other people that had suffered similar head injuries (incl. several taxi drivers!) that either were unaware/ignorant of the requirements to report to DVLA or deliberately didn’t report it for all the predictable reasons.
Same here.lost mine for 9 months- sleep apnoea, bureaucratic nightmare describes it!
Also brought up other illnessess I had been to the doctors with in previous years!
Dont forget when you sign the dvla forms you give them permission to investigate your FULL medical yistory!
nev
Yet again, it seems the petrolprices.com writers are stuck for what to write about – your articles lately are off the mark scaremongering – their intent may well be honourable but they are far too much headline grabbing and full of too many adverts.
Please don’t sink to the same level as the ‘Red Tops’ and print any old tosh!
If you want to write about notifiable conditions then make factual statements and list those conditions from a reliable source don’t just allude to what they may be.
Some valid responses here. Don’t want to stray from the main topic of driver ailments but let’s not overlook the thousands of unfit vehicles whose owners dodge MOT and Road Tax so we share each journey with lethal killing machines. Police ANPR cameras can only catch so many and how many cars do you see with lights working on one side only, potentially mistaken for an oncoming motorcycle, and the owner in no rush to get it fixed? In Abu Dhabi 45 yrs ago my agent’s car was stopped by traffic cop who’d spotted we had a headlamp out. He took our number, gave the driver a ticket and we had to go immediately to the garage (they’re open well after nightfall due to the heat) to have it fixed. He’d then have to submit the car next day to get the ticket cancelled or face prosecution. Sorry to drift from the main point but I raise it because I’m curious to know how the system can be enforced to prevent or identify drivers with various ailments on this list from choosing to get behind the wheel, regardless of being physically challenged, when we don’t stop cars driving with only 50% functional vision for example!?!
Puzzles me how many of these cars over3 yrs old get thru mots? If they dont the dvla know,then surely the police,etc will know? See the same cars one year end to next ,same lights etc out????
My children were about to be driven on a large coach from Bedford to Penzance. I took them off the coach when I saw the driver was very obese and had lit a cigarette before they moved off. He was red faced and clearly not in good health. There should be the same medical requirements and tests for coach drivers as those for pilots.
There’s a load of sensational nonsense in this report, and it does no credit to this website. Arthritis, for example, is only reportable in certain specific circumstances – how much of the rest of this story is similar garbage?
“Car or motorcycle licence
You must tell DVLA if you use special controls for driving. Fill in form G1 and send it to DVLA. The address is on the form.
Talk to your doctor if you’re not sure if your arthritis will affect your driving, or if you must tell DVLA about it.”
The gov.uk website gives all 182 conditions that should be considered for reporting. Arthritis only has to be declared if your vehicle is modified or your doctor recommends it.
If everyone who suffers from any form of arthritis declare it there would be virtually no one left on the roads – hooray – no more air pollution no more traffic queues and just maybe we would have a really good network of public transport instead of the pathetic excuse we have today. Too many houses and not enough public transport to keep people off the roads.
I have just started to experience severe back pain, however this is not an underlying health condition, but is due to the amount of time I have spent driving on our wonderful British roads, with potholes every mile and half and uneven surfaces.Perhaps we should all buy something more akin to driving in these conditions, where does all of the motorist road tax money,MOT fees and costs of updating licences etc etc all go?
Vehicle MOTs . It’s about time roads had to have MOTs. or at least 2 potholes per mile limit .Some of the town roads and streets are about in the same condition as 3rd world bombed places. seems strange that there is plenty of tarmac for speed bumps but none for potholes.
Agree.If cars are legally required to be safe for roads,roads should be legally safe for cars!
If a road condition causes an accident the responsible authority should be liable for all claims.
It is reported the treasury collect something like £16 Billion in road fund license fees , only about £4 Billion is returned to the infrastructure , the rest goes into the general pot.
Not surprised about what should be declared, but surprised that you didn’t include Gloucoma as being one of the most obvious.
I have never had deja vu
I crushed my spinal cord in 2007 which has left me with a number of conditions. Chronic low back pain, loss of bladder control, hypersensitive in both legs, footdrop. I wear s a leg brace on right leg and have no feeling in right leg below knee at all.
My current medications are all opioid based. My licence was suspended whilst I was reassessed and was given back to me. I lost my HGV and PSV.
All my medications are controlled drugs and I’ve been driving since and DVLA are aware. They don’t cause me drowsiness or anything so I’m ok.
Your article is slightly misleading, I suffer from sleep apnoea but as I use a CPAP machine when I am sleeping I have not had my driving licence taken from me. Perhaps you should add to your article that people suffering from this condition can receive treatment which allows them to continue driving.
Thanks for telling us this Eileen, we were not aware of this when writing the article, we’ve now updated it to reflect this.
My son surrendered his licence 3yrs ago because had two black outs. He was diagnosed medically fit two yrs ago. After numerous phone calls and signed forms from his consultant saying he is fit to drive he has still not got his licence back from the DVLA.
Don’t surrender your licence. Just be sensible and listen to your own common sense.
get back in touch with the DVLA to get your licence returned. They will write to your doctor and return it confirmed you are OK. Don’t hold on to your licence if you are told by doctors to surrender it.You are making a bigger problem later on.
I ticked the box ” have you any condition that effects one or both eyes”. I ended up at a DVLA appointed optician for eye tests which I passed without problems.The Opticians asked me ” what was the condition?” I replied ” Dry eye!” She was amazed that I’d been sent for the tests for just that!
When I asked my doctor and consultant about driving with certain conditions, they both said that they would tell a patient if they were unfit to drive due to any condition for which they were recieving treatment, it is their duty to tell you. After heart bypass surgery I was told not to drive for eight weeks.
We’ve updated this now, thanks for informing us
The top 4 causes of accidents are :- Drink Driving, Drunk Driving, Speeding / Reckless Driving and Mobile phones. When we can eliminate all these we can start to think about the tiny minority of accidents caused by driver’s medical conditions.
Actually, driving over the alcohol limit, speeding & using a mobile phone, collectively cause fewer accidents & deaths than careless driving, e.g. turning right in front of oncoming traffic etc.
Labyrinthitis does not usually cause ear-ache. It is the vertigo (spinning type of dizziness) that is the problem.
Also other sleep problems need to be mentioned eg. narcolepsy.
Unfortunately there are some people who will not declare their health problems, especially those with alcohol or drug problems, for fear of losing their job or licence to drive. Should all drivers have health checks regularly?
European Commission’s Third Directive on driving licences (2006/126/EC)
Many years ago I had a non malignant brain tumour which was removed, and despite the all clear from the surgeon was forced by the DVLA to wait for two years before driving again.My surgeon was adamant that I was clear to drive but I had to abide by the rules. During that time I went to the rescue of an elderly lady who had just crashed her car only to find that three weeks earlier she too had had brain surgery,but no-one had even suggested that she should stop driving,even though she had asked if it would be ok!! As at the time I was a fulltime night sister working un social hours you can imagine how this made me feel!
I would of thought Diabetes would have been in the number one spot.
As long as it’s type 2 and diet controlled they don’t seem to be interested.
What’s the name of the condition that stops people using the left lane on duel carriageways and the 2nd lane on motorways? Is that in this list?
I think it’s either called ‘MyBentleyandRangeRoveraretooimportantosetfootinthenearsidelanephobia’
or
‘Mydrivinginstructortoldmetoignorebritishhighwaycodelanedisciplineitis’
Exactly! The Gov.uk website says, ‘Talk to your doctor if you’re not sure if your arthritis will affect your driving, or if you must tell DVLA about it’.
The article seems way off the mark!
We all worry about medical conditions which could affect peoples ability to drive safely, which is understandable yet no one seems concerned that the general public can drive upto a 16 seater minibus on a normal driving license, with no formal driving lessons or PSV license provided their not charging a fare for their services.
As long as their providing this service as part of their job, ( which obviously there being paid a wage for) they can take school children on trips. day centre transport school transport the list is endless.
A couple of times around a carpark and short drive on the highway and their good to go.
It ludicrous that professional drivers must take a PSV driving course to drive 9 – 16 seat minibuses if their charging a fare.
No one seems concerned that lives are put at serious risk from inexperienced people who are receiving a payment for the job can drive such large vehicles around our roads.
They’re (= they are)
I am 70 this May & the DVLA gave me the choice of surrendering my entitlement to drive lorries up to 7.5 t & mini buses up to 16 seats, or take the appropriate tests to continue driving these vehicles.
As a former LGV & part time Coach driver (retired from both many years ago), I have opted to surrender my entitlements as I wont be driving either of the above any time soon.
I have my eyesight checked every year (I have both driving glasses & reading glasses), & have a full medical MOT annually.
Not only is my own personal safety paramount, but also to other drivers & pedestrians alike!
If there are 182 declarable conditions …… how do you know what they are, I certainly don’t. When they send you an MOT reminder they could include the list…then at least you stand a chance of being aware. What about people who are fasting or dieting or have a nasty cold …and if you are not aware of having one of these conditions can that invalidate your license. Its a minefield …. together with all those pot holes …. will anyone be allowed to drive
So my comment about driving with head coverings, slits and hoodies gets removed then. One nudge and they can’t see at all, what is wrong with that comment? It’s a fact.
When you posted that comment, you agreed to our comment guidelines. Even if something is a fact, in some cases it is not appropriate to post racist remarks. If you had not seen the comments guidelines, they are here: https://www.petrolprices.com/comment-guidelines/
Ive had 2 brain tumours removed & walk with a crutch, I fall over sometimes as my mobility is slowly getting worse, I had a DVLA Medical at 21 years old & Im due another one in 5 years time. Im 36 years old & I had my brain tumours removed at 3 & 11 years old
For the record I also commented that Facebook, texting & mobiles and driving like a t*** are worst than many medical conditions. So what are you afraid of with removing my comments?
You posted the article to get attention, you got it then you remove any comments you don’t like?
your Doctor should by law have to inform the DVLA if you have any of the said problems then ….
It doesn’t matter that much really. DVLA have constantly told me I’m not allowed to drive due to Uncontrolled Epilepsy and arthritic knees, yet when I apply to renew my ENCT pass, my local transport authority’s medical officer think there is no reason I should have it renewed as they consider me capable enough to drive.
Would you want me in charge of the bus/tram you are on knowing the medical conditions of the driver in charge of the vehicle?
Has the list changed recently? I phoned the DVLA about arthritis and was told it wasn’t on their list so they didn’t need to be notified of it.
Having read through several of the responses it’s interesting to note that the most aggressive and unreasonable comments have been made by older men! I’m 67 and fortunately have good health but rather than run the risk of killing someone by being stubborn I would rather give up my licence when it comes to it!!
Another thing is driving while tired, apparently we shouldn’t drive if we feel tired, but you can’t tell your employer “Sorry I’m not coming in to work today I feel too tired so I can’t drive in” you’d soon get the sack, and in my area getting to work by public transport isn’t an option as the timetable times are useless for my shift times. So If I feel tired I have no choice, I have to drive!
Mind you though, feeling drowsy or sleepy is another matter, if it’s this then NO you shouldn’t drive.
They don’t mention diabetes, which I have declared and now have a three year license. When I learnt to drive and passed my test, which was seven years ago, I already had had osteoarthritis for many years and no one mentioned the conditions you had to declare. Even the DVLA, when I phoned them, didn’t mention anything about ‘conditions’ and as I was upgrading from a provisional license at the age of 61, I would have thought that it would’ve been an obvious thing to ask. As has been previously pointed out, the roads would be very empty and the government would go bankrupt. Unless, they fine us all an exorbitant amount for not informing them of our ills and ails.
I had a brain tumour tumour removed in 1985 and I have to hand my licence for 12 months and I had to medical condition (Hypopituarism) and the daily medication I have to take. My driving licence since has been valid for shorter lengths and my current one is for 10 years. It was ironic that I had only passed my driving test 4 weeks having to return it.
It’s strange that having recently turned 70 I had to fill in a list of questions about my fitness to drive in order to receive my new licence, none of these questions were asked. At 70 most people have arthritis but there’s no question about it.
Maybe when you visit your gp/optician after a fall/illness/eye issue/anything concerning driving fitness they should fill in a form for the dvla . This way you won’t have to rely on the driver deciding whether they feel safe to drive or not. Might bring down the accident rate?