CURRENT MEDICAL STANDARDS OF FITNESS TO DRIVE

CONDITION GUIDANCE NOTIFY DVLA?

ALCOHOL/DRUG-RELATED CONDITIONS

ALCOHOL/DRUG MISUSE OR Licence withheld until patient has Yes

DEPENDENCY been free of problems for:
6 months (persistent alcohol
misuse; misuse of cannabis,
amfetamines other than
metamfetamine, ecstasy,
psychoactive drugs) or
1 year (alcohol dependency;
misuse of heroin, morphine,
methadone, cocaine,
metamfetamine, benzodiazepines)

CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS

ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES Cease driving after coronary No

angioplasty for 1 week if procedure
successful or 4 weeks if
unsuccessful.

ANGINA Cease driving if symptoms occur at No

rest, with emotion or at the wheel.

ARRHYTHMIA Cease driving if the arrhythmia has No, unless symptoms are distracting or disabling
caused or is likely to cause incapacity.
Can resume driving when underlying
cause has been controlled for 4
weeks. Cease driving for 2 days after
successful catheter ablation.

CABG Cease driving for 4 weeks. No

HEART FAILURE Can continue driving unless No

symptoms are distracting.

HEART VALVE SURGERY Cease driving for 4 weeks. No

HYPERTENSION Can continue driving. No

STROKE, TIA Cease driving for 1 month. No, unless neurological deficit persists 1 month
after episode

PACEMAKER IMPLANT Cease driving for 1 week. Yes

PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY Cease driving for 1 week. No
INTERVENTION (PCI)

DIABETES

DIABETES MELLITUS Can continue driving unless >1 No, unless insulin needed for >3 months,
episode of hypoglycaemia in visual/circulatory complications develop, >1
preceding 12 months requiring episode of disabling hypoglycaemia within
assistance of another person, or preceding 12 months or at high risk of developing
impaired awareness of disabling hypoglycaemia
hypoglycaemia. Can resume driving
when control/awareness achieved.
Drivers who use insulin should check
their blood glucose no more than 2
hours before the start of a journey
and every 2 hours whilst driving; if
the reading is 4mmol/L or less, they
should stop driving and not resume
until 45 minutes after level has
returned to normal.

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

CHRONIC CONDITIONS E.G. Can be licensed if medical assessment Yes

PARKINSON'S DISEASE, MS confirms that driving performance is
not impaired.

EPILEPSY Epileptic attack whilst awake: cease Yes

driving for 1 year (6 months if first
attack/solitary fit, specialist
assessment completed and no
abnormality identified).
Epileptic attack whilst asleep: cease
driving for 1 year (can be licensed if
original attack occurred >3 years
previously and no awake attacks have
occurred since).
When treatment is being
withdrawn, patient should generally
cease driving until 6 months after
treatment cessation.

PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

DEMENTIA If patient has poor short-term Yes

memory, disorientation, lack of

MANIA OR HYPOMANIA
PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS (ACUTE)
PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS (CHRONIC)
Assem
Draz
insight and judgement, he/she is
unlikely to be fit to drive.
Cease driving during acute illness. Yes
Following an insolated episode,
patient can be licensed when he/she
has remained stable for 3 months (6
months if 4 episodes of mood swing
during previous year), if necessary
criteria met.
Cease driving during acute illness. Yes
Patient can be licensed if he/she has
remained well and stable for 3
months, if necessary criteria met.
Cease driving unless patient has had Yes
stable behaviour for 3 months,
adequate treatment adherence and
no adverse effects of medication
(subject to favourable specialist
report).
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Date: 2016-05-31 20:59+02:00