Should You Give Up ?

You ultimate question is whether you should give up and stop driving. This is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Many of you will rely on your car to get you to places that would not be practical to do on public transport. Dementia is a progressive condition, so it is inevitable that you will have to hang up your keys at some point, but that is true for most people whether they have Dementia or not. The question is when.

In many countries, including the UK, you have a legal obligation to inform certain organisations once your diagnosis of Dementia is confirmed. If you live in the UK and have been diagnosed with Dementia, you will need to inform the DVLA and your insurance company. While this does not automatically stop you from driving on a personal basis, there are processes that need to be followed before you can drive legally. If you drive as part of your job, you will certainly be subject to additional rules or regulations and contacting the DVLA directly for guidance is always advised.

One such process will involve the DVLA contacting your GP to gain information relating to your levels of short-term memory, insight, attention, and judgement in the form of a medical report. The DVLA will use this information to decide on a course of action. In the early stages of Dementia, when you may retain a high level of skills and progression of your condition is slow, the DVLA may issue a licence to you for specific period of time, such as 1 or 2 years, after which, your licence will be reviewed and the process repeated. If the DVLA decide that the your Dementia has progressed past the early stages, they may require that you undertake a formal driving assessment before the licence is re-issued. Again, it will depend on the individual as to what processes are required, but the DVLA will assess each person on an individual basis.

If the DVLA decide to revoke your driving licence after assessing your medical reports, or after you have unsuccessfully completed a formal driving assessment, then you will no longer be allowed to legally drive. If you wish to read more about this, the DVLA have a dedicated webpage including a downloadable information booklet entitled 'At a glance guide to the current medical standards of fitness to drive' (PDF - 832Kb).

You can find the DVLA Medical Information webpage by clicking here.