Driving experts have warned Brits they face a £1,000 fine from the DVLA relating to health conditions they have kept secret.
And by keeping them secret, you also risk invalidating your car insurance, making it one almighty mess should you end up in a problematic situation.
Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is a dangerous if done so in a dangerous manner. And that includes if your health is letting you down, and therefore, putting you and others on the road at risk.
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And some of the conditions are pretty common, including anxiety, ADHD, and sleep apnoea.
Others are a little bit rarer and often more acute in their symptoms, such as having a blood clot or brain aneurism.
Now, a fresh warning has come via BigWantsYourCar.com which has highlighted the need for drivers to disclose specific medical conditions to the DVLA. And if you don't, you could face a £1,000 fine for not complying.
Undisclosed conditions and being in an accident
"Drivers must understand the nature of not disclosing medical conditions to the DVLA. Beyond the risk of fines, failure to report illnesses could have severe consequences, especially if involved in an accident where an undisclosed condition may have played a role," the company said today (17 February) in a new warning.
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"By keeping the DVLA informed about any changes in health status, drivers actively contribute to a safer driving environment for themselves and others."
They added: "The extensive list provided by the DVLA encompasses a wide range of medical conditions that could impact driving ability. From cancer to neurological disorders, it's crucial for drivers to recognise the significance of reporting these conditions to authorities.
"For those uncertain about whether their condition is notifiable, consulting with a healthcare professional is highly advised. It's better to stay on the side of caution and ensure compliance with DVLA regulations to avoid potential legal and financial repercussions."
Common conditions such as cancer and diabetes
Two common conditions such as cancer or diabetes must be flagged to the DVLA.
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For diabetes, it's essential to inform the DVLA if your insulin therapy extends (or is expected to extend) beyond three months.
It has to also be mentioned if you experienced gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) and your insulin therapy persists beyond three months postpartum. On top of this, you must flag if you suffer from incapacitating hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), or a medical expert has warned of the risk of its development.
With cancer of lymphoma, tell the DVLA about it if you have issues related to your brain or nervous system, or your physician advises that you may not be fit for driving.
On top of this, it must be flagged if you are limited to specific vehicle types or require vehicle adaptations due to your condition and your medication induces side effects that could impact your ability to drive safely.
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Full list of conditions you should tell the DVLA about
- Agoraphobia
- Alcohol problems
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amputations
- Angiomas or cavernomas
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anorexia nervosa
- Anxiety
- Aortic aneurysm
- Arachnoid cyst
- Arrhythmia
- Arteriovenous malformation
- Arthritis
- Ataxia
- ADHD
- AIDS
- Bipolar disorder (manic depression)
- Blood clots
- Blood pressure
- Brachial plexus injury
- Brain abscess, cyst or encephalitis
- Brain aneurysm
- Brain haemorrhage
- Traumatic brain injury
- Brain tumour
- Broken limbs
- Brugada syndrome
- Burr hole surgery
- Cataracts
- Cataplexy
- Central venous thrombosis (if still having problems after one month)
- Cerebral palsy
- Cognitive problems
- Congenital heart disease
- Fits, seizures or convulsions and driving
- Déjà vu and driving
- Defibrillators
- Dementia
- Depression (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Diplopia (double vision)
- Dizziness or vertigo (if sudden, disabling or recurrent)
- Drug use
- Empyema (brain)
- Essential tremor (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Eye conditions
- Guillain Barré syndrome
- Head injury (serious)
- Heart failure (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Heart palpitations
- Hemianopia
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Huntington's disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hypoxic brain damage
- Intracerebral haemorrhage
- Korsakoff's syndrome
- Labyrinthitis (if symptoms last three months or longer)
- Learning disabilities
- Lewy body dementia
- Limb disability
- Long QT syndrome
- Marfan's syndrome
- Medulloblastoma
- Meningioma (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Motor neurone disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis
- Myoclonus
- Narcolepsy
- Night blindness
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Excessive sleepiness
- Optic atrophy
- Pacemakers
- Paranoid schizophrenia
- Paraplegia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Personality disorder
- Pituitary tumour
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Psychosis
- Psychotic depression
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Severe memory problems
- Stroke (if you're still having problems after one month)
- Surgery (if you're still unable to drive three months later)
- Syncope (including blackouts or fainting)
- Seizures/epilepsy
- Sleep apnoea
- Schizo-affective disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Scotoma
- Severe communication disorders (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Spinal conditions, injuries or spinal surgery
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Tachycardia
- Tourette's syndrome (if it impacts your ability to drive safely)
- Tunnel vision
- Usher syndrome
- Reduced visual acuity
- Vertigo
- Visual field defect
- VP shunts
- Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Tom Earnshaw