Motorists could be putting their licence at risk and facing penalties of up to £1,000 if they're diagnosed with certain medical conditions and fail to notify the DVLA. These five common conditions can quietly affect your capacity to drive safely and lawfully, with approximately 10 million people across the UK having received such diagnoses.
The DVLA maintains a comprehensive A-Z directory of conditions online where motorists can look up their specific diagnosis to determine whether they must inform the DVLA and the procedure for doing so, either digitally or through postal forms. Specialists from cinch recommended that drivers also update their insurance provider with any fresh medical details in case their condition might influence their policy coverage. Ben Welham, motoring specialist at cinch, stated: "The DVLA's online checker only takes a few minutes, so it's worth doing to avoid losing your licence or getting stuck with a £1,000 fine if you don't report any relevant medical conditions."
DiabetesRoughly 4.6 million people across the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes according to Diabetes UK and it may impact their capacity to drive safely.
For the majority it shouldn't pose problems unless they develop diabetes-related complications that impair their driving ability such as hypoglycaemia without recognising the warning symptoms, retinopathy compromising their sight or nerve damage.
Diabetics need to inform the DVLA of their condition if:
More than 3.5 million people across the UK are living with cancer, according to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Receiving a diagnosis of this illness doesn't automatically require you to notify the DVLA, but certain situations may mean you're obligated to do so.
Welham advised: "It's always worth checking with your doctor about whether your diagnosis or treatment could impact your ability to drive."
This may apply if you experience difficulties with your brain or nervous system, your GP indicates you might not be suitable to drive, you require a specially modified vehicle, or your medication produces side effects that could affect your driving ability.
Sleep apnoeaThe British Lung Foundation calculates that 1.5 million adults across the UK have received a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
This disorder can trigger extreme drowsiness that will compromise your driving capability, as Welham cautioned: "With excessive sleepiness causing poor concentration and reaction times, the effects of sleep apnoea can be very dangerous behind the wheel."
Other sleep disorders that necessitate drivers to notify the DVLA include narcolepsy, cataplexy or any other condition causing excessive sleepiness for at least three months.
GlaucomaResearch from Glaucoma UK reveals that over 700,000 adults in the UK have been diagnosed with glaucoma. However, many more might not even realise they have it, making regular eye tests crucial.
This condition affects your peripheral vision, making it difficult to see objects outside your direct line of sight, such as pedestrians, other vehicles and more hazards common when driving. You must inform the DVLA if you have eye conditions that affect both eyes, or just one if you only have vision in one eye to start with, and if a GP, optician or eye specialist has told you that you may not meet the visual standards for driving.
PacemakersOver 500,000 people in the UK have been fitted with a pacemaker and must notify the DVLA as soon as possible after it's installed. There's no need to inform the DVLA if you have a pacemaker battery change.
If you fail to inform the DVLA about a condition that could impact your driving, you could be hit with a £1,000 fine. If you're involved in an accident and it's discovered you didn't update the DVLA, you could even face prosecution.
After you inform the DVLA about your condition, the department will decide if you need to:
