Thousands of licenses are revoked annually for various pre-existing medical conditions that impact driving safety, with recent data highlighting eyesight-related conditions and sleep-related disorders. The agency also points to common conditions like dementia, epilepsy, and alcoholism as frequent causes for revocation.
Key Details
- Eyesight Conditions: Over 35,000 drivers have had their licenses revoked or applications refused since 2022 due to failing to meet the required eyesight standards. This has prompted a discussion about mandatory eye tests for older drivers.
- Sleep Disorders: Since 2020, 1,816 licences have been revoked due to sleep-related conditions, with the annual numbers rising steadily. The DVLA has also refused a further 2,609 applications for sleep apnea and narcolepsy concerns.
- Other Major Conditions: Other common reasons for license cancellations include dementia, alcoholism, epilepsy, and heart conditions.
Driver Obligations
UK law mandates that drivers must be medically fit to drive safely. It is the driver’s legal responsibility to inform the DVLA about any health condition that could impact their ability to operate a vehicle.
- A fine of up to £1,000 can be imposed for failing to notify the DVLA of a persistent medical condition.
- If an accident occurs and it is found the driver had an undeclared medical condition, their insurance may be invalidated.
Drivers can check the official list of notifiable conditions and find the relevant forms on the GOV.UK website.