According to the government website, there is a long list of conditions drivers must tell the DVLA when applying for their licence.
Failure to do so could land them in hot water, although it is worth noting that there are exceptions specific to different medical conditions.
Experts at Swansway Motor Group explained: “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.
“By keeping the DVLA informed about any changes in health status, drivers actively contribute to a safer driving environment for themselves and others.
“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.”
Here are some of the conditions you need to make the DVLA aware of.
Diabetes
For diabetes, it’s essential to inform the DVLA if:
- Your insulin therapy extends (or is expected to extend) beyond three months.
- You experienced gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy), and your insulin therapy persists beyond three months postpartum.
- You suffer from incapacitating hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), or a medical expert has warned of the risk of its development.
Cancer
For cancer or lymphoma, it’s necessary to inform the DVLA only if:
- You encounter issues related to your brain or nervous system.
- Your physician advises that you may not be fit for driving.
- You’re limited to specific vehicle types or require vehicle adaptations due to your condition.
- Your medication induces side effects that could impact your ability to drive safely.
If you are uncertain about the potential effects of cancer on driving, consult with your doctor for clarification.
Full list of medical conditions you may need to 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
