Driving Assesment

[MrsB911]

My mother in law has today been for her driving assessment and has had her driving license taken away from her. She has not driving in a few weeks because she has been away on holiday and her husband has been driving the longer distances so she told the assessor that and that she was nervous. They have told her that she has no opportunity to re-apply and that she won't ever be able to drive again and have taken her license there and then.

Is this normal before she has been diagnosed?

She has had an MRI and an MRA but she still hasn't been diagnosed with anything and we have been told that she doesn't have an appointment to see the doctors for her results until 14th September.

Do they usually revoke driving licenses before a diagnosis is made? My husband is understandably angry that this has been the case.

 

[maryw]

How thorough was the driving assessment? They usually do lots of cognitive tests and reaction time tests before you even get behind the wheel. Did she actually get to drive?

 

[MrsB911]

Yes, it appears she did all of that. We are just shocked a decision was made without a diagnosis.



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[Chemmy]

Who raised concerns and instigated the driving assessment?

Even after a diagnosis, people who pass the assessment are still allowed to keep their licence and have it regularly reviewed, so presumably the reason she has had her licence revoked is because she was assessed as being unsafe.

 

[MrsB911]

The doctor referred her before she had even had the MRI and she hasn't had the results from any tests or been given a diagnosis yet. She doesn't know whether she has dementia or Alzheimer's or something else altogether because she's not been told.


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[MrsB911]

Just to clarify we raised no concerns about her driving because we have non. Although we appreciate there is a problem her driving and parking is perfectly fine, or so we thought from spending time with her and being in the car with her.

I can understand an assessment but they don't know what they looking at unless they've been told something the family haven't.


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[Chemmy]

Do you think she should still be driving? I must admit, there are many threads on TP where the problem is that GPs are not usually so proactive.

 

[MrsB911]

She's been absolutely fine driving. She has driven to her home to the park and ride and to the garden centre and had no problems at all.

When she went to the doctor initially the doctor said there was nothing wrong with her memory but a year later when she pushed the matter she was referred to a memory clinic.

Since then she has had a written test, MRI and MRA and this driving assessment. They have not given her any results yet, they have simply said she is to go back in September to get the results after a panel have looked at them. So we don't know what she has wrong wth her yet.

She wasn't told this assessment was final, she had no idea that she wouldn't never be able to get the license back and she's barely driven leading up to it because she's been away. We don't know if we can appeal? Or if it's usual to do this before diagnosis?

If they don't feel she's safe to drive then that's understandably but when she's already confused and frustrated with what's going on with her then this isn't helping.

She has memory loss and gets confused from time to time but she is very aware of what's going on and everything that's happening. I wouldn't say she is in advanced stages at all.


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[Chemmy]

There seems to be information re appeals on this government website

https://www.gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions/what-dvla-will-decide

 

[Spamar]

Haven't read crem my reference, but certainly when OH did his there was a right to refer the result. In his case he might have been able to do something about it. However, I don't think he understood what!! That was 2007, so it might have changed.
I don't think they took his licence then, he had to send it back.

However, I gave noticed that if vascular dementia, or if he's had a Tia, is part of the problem, the licence goes! I know you haven't got a diagnosis, but it might have been passed to the driving centre.

 

[jaymor]

Your MIL would have, like a learner driver, been assessed on her driving during the test. Diagnosis of dementia really is not a concern to the assessor, it is the driving.

We advised the DVLA of my husband's diagnosis and he was assessed and given an annual test. He was given a license for 12 months and on assessment had this renewed four times before they decided he should stop. So four years post diagnosis his driving was good enough to keep his license. He was judged on his driving, not on his dementia.

It is devastating when a license is taken away but better that she remains safe. My husband was still functioning really well with the odd bouts of confusion and anxiety and my sigh of relief was deafening when he was told that driving was no longer possible, he, me and the world were safe.

If it is possible challenge the decision but it might be upsetting for MIL to go through it all again.

 

[canary]

When the DVLA do a driving assessment they dont pass or fail on a diagnosis or lack of it. The diagnosis will alter how long the license is for if you pass (people with dementia usually have a 1yr license, people with glaucoma usually have a 3 yr license etc), but if you have your license revoked it will be because you have failed the assessment. Who went with her? Were they given any indication of why she failed? You can appeal, but you have to have good grounds and I dont think the lack of diagnosis would count.

 

[Sue J]

However, I gave noticed that if vascular dementia, or if he's had a Tia, is part of the problem, the licence goes! I know you haven't got a diagnosis, but it might have been passed to the driving centre.

That is interesting Spamar but it is not right if the driving centre have been made aware and the patient hasn't - unless of course the patient has but has totally forgotten it so has not told anyone else.

Sorry to read this MrsB911 as it is obviously causing the family distress and not only your MIL understandably. GPs really need training on how to deal with these issues and invite patient to bring a family member if they are going to give such a diagnosis, if of course that has been the case. I guess the only way to find out is to go together to the GP to discuss it.

 

[danonwheels]

The driving assessment is an assessment of a person's ability to drive safely and is nothing to do with a diagnosis or lack of one.

With the license having been taken straight away and being told there is no opportunity for appeal that suggests the standard of driving displayed is well below that required to be safe. This would still hold true in a completely healthy person with no dementia. Driving not safe = no license to drive.

Being angry about it achieves nothing and if the standard of driving is so dangerous it may well be that the assessor has potentially saved either her life or someone else's. They can't afford to take any chances with these things.

 

[Spamar]

Hi Sue, it was the only reason I could think of!!
I know the DVLA are quickly off the mark if there's any suggestion of Tia's/strokes. A neighbour of mine either slipped in the shower and hit his head, or passed out, fell, and hit his head. He doesn't know. Can't remember cos he hit his head!! He certainly sounded very dementia- like immediately afterwards, being very repetitive. But, although nothing has been found wrong, despite a raft of blood tests, heart monitors, EEG and all the rest, he is not allowed to drive for 6 months. Then there will be a review!

The irony of it is that if you have someone with dementia and try to inform the DVLA, they either ignore it, or don't answer for months!

Yes, it's odd, Dan. OH was certainly given the chance to appeal.

 

[john51]

This is a complex situation.

From all that I have read, the driving assessment centres give an opinion about how safe a person is to drive. They do not take licenses away, even if they think it is not safe for a person to drive. They recommend that that person contact DVLA, supplying the report. DVLA is the only body which can revoke the license. Surely? Isnt it?

DVLA works immensely slowly with this. When I got my dementia diagnosis, I advised DVLA using their form, as I was advised by my GP is had to do. Wheels churned and DVLA asked various people for reports and evidence for close to a year. I then got a letter saying their medical advisors had a backlog and would be in touch with a decision within 3 months. This was renewed for a further 3 months. Then the decision was made to revoke my license. OK the date it was revoked from was about a week bfore the letter arrived.

I wasn't sent for a driving assessment because the consultant (and I) knew it was not safe for me to drive. I didn't know how to give up my license voluntarily, so just chose not to drive.

The assessment is for anybody for whom there is concern about their driving safety. Its to safeguard innocent road users and the person themselves. When I had my first TIA I was told by the doctor not to drive for a month. When another came along he said I should tell DVLA, and not drive for another month, and that he would recommend an assessment. The dementia diagnosis and my decision not to drive came along before this could happen.

The assessment centres are used to nervous people aren't they? really? So if they report that somebody isn't safe to drive aren't they the people with the training?.

I know I don't always look before crossing the road. I know I cause problems. There isn't an assessment for safe pedestrianship. But imagine what the unsafe driver would go through if they were unlucky enough to run into me.

If they got it wrong though there is the appeal process. This does rely on medical evidence to suggest the person is safe though.

Cn you appeal if the DSA driving examiner got it wrong?

John

 

[chick1962]

She can go to any driving instructor to take her test again and if she passes , she can drive again . We were told that by consultant when OH got diagnosed . He passed his driving assessment though and has one every year. There does not have to be a diagnoses of some form of Dementia to be assessed as its standard with/ or after ops too, specially on spinal ones or even if concerns are raised .


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[Batsue]

She can go to any driving instructor to take her test again and if she passes , she can drive again . We were told that by consultant when OH got diagnosed . He passed his driving assessment though and has one every year. There does not have to be a diagnoses of some form of Dementia to be assessed as its standard with/ or after ops too, specially on spinal ones or even if concerns are raised .


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I think that driving instructors can only do mock tests, they may give you an opinion as to your competence but have no other powers.

 

[Spamar]

Yep, that's right unless it changed in the past 10 years. The driving assessment centres only do driving assessment, and have all the equipment to do so. Like Sue, I think an instructor can give an opinion.

 

[chick1962]

Yep, that's right unless it changed in the past 10 years. The driving assessment centres only do driving assessment, and have all the equipment to do so. Like Sue, I think an instructor can give an opinion.

I didn't know that , as I have been told anyone can take driving test again and if they pass, they pass. It was a consultant though . He might have been wrong then .


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