Your health behind the wheel can seriously affect your legal position.

A driver’s medical conditions that haven’t been reported can void their car insurance. In turn, it can have serious consequences ranging from fines to prosecution.

Informed and inform

Drivers must inform the DVLA if they suffer from a medical condition that could affect their driving ability.

Quotezone.co.uk have identified ten important conditions. These can prevent motorists from legally taking to the road or invalidate insurance. This could leave them unprotected in the case of a crash.

The penalties for not declaring a medical condition can include a £1,000 fine and the risk of prosecution. Yet some motorists are unsure of what exactly precludes them from driving.

Greg Wilson, founder of car insurance comparison site Quotezone.co.uk says: “Many conditions and medications won’t impair driving, which the DVLA and insurance providers recognise. However, they do need to be kept up to date with any changes.

He adds that “drivers must play their part to ensure their wellbeing and the wellbeing of other road users”.

Check in and check out

The DVLA has an extensive list of over 110 conditions that can affect driving. This long list may leave some motorists unaware of all of these conditions, let alone the effects they can have on driving ability.

Wilson “found some quite surprising”. Lesser known conditions may “also carry an increased risk and therefore insurance premiums can be higher”.

Some ailments result in driving licence revocation. A driver must inform both the DVLA and their insurance provider.

“Having inaccurate details on the insurance policy can void the insurance and leave drivers unprotected.”

10 medical conditions to declare

1.    Diabetes

Diabetes can lead to further complications including hypoglycaemia, which can result in drowsiness and blurred vision. It may not lead to a driving licence being revoked, but the DVLA do need to be informed, especially if the diabetes diagnosis is extremely serious.

2.    Sleep apnoea

Extreme fatigue can lead to drivers losing concentration on the roads. Conditions including sleep apnoea, where breathing stops and starts during sleep, as well as other illnesses affecting fatigue and in turn driving ability, must be reported to the DVLA.

3.    Heart conditions

Any heart conditions must be reported to the DVLA. For example, arrythmia must be reported as it can affect the ability to safely stop a car, and can be distracting.

4.    Eye conditions

Most eye conditions, such as Glaucoma, must be reported to the DVLA, and it is up to their discretion what procedure to carry out regarding your licence.

5.    Stroke

After having a stroke it is possible that you may be able to drive again in the future, but initially you must stop driving for one month after having a stroke. If you have returned back to normal health after a month, you can start driving again, however the DVLA needs to be informed if health problems still persist for longer than a month after the stroke.

6.    Seizures and epilepsy

If you have had a seizure whilst awake and lost consciousness, your licence will be taken away. You can reapply if you go six months without a seizure and medical advisors have given their input. If a seizure happened in other instances, such as while you were asleep, you may be able to retain your licence depending on DVLA and government guidelines.

7.    Vertigo

Recurrent or sudden dizziness must be reported to the DVLA.

8.    Syncope

Syncope is a condition that causes a temporary loss of consciousness. Fainting conditions including syncope, which causes blackouts, must be reported to the DVLA.

9.    Certain operations

Operations on certain body parts, including your legs, can exempt you from driving, yet this can be up to the discretion of the doctor, who should inform you on driving procedures after leaving the hospital.

10.  Driving on medications

If you are on strong medications, it is likely that you will be recommended to avoid driving. Opioid painkillers, tranquillisers, and certain antidepressants are examples of medicines that can affect driving ability – as well as those that cause drowsiness or say ‘do not operate heavy machinery’.

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