I've read so many other stories here of battles over driving when our relatives insist they're 'fine' when they really aren't. I'm glad we're not alone!!!!
Maybe we were a bit sneaky, but when Fil was in hospital, his motor insurance policy was due for renewal and we simply let it lapse. Prior to that, he'd been involved in a collision with a stationary tractor and written his car off. He was given a courtesy car (had a minor bump in that car, too) until the settlement cheque was issued by his insurers. Obviously he had to return the courtesy car on receipt of the cheque, so he rushed out and bought another car for cash. Within a few weeks, he had the fall and the fractured hip which hospitalised him for two months. MiL had already been advised by her GP that she wasn't fit to drive though she's still the registered keeper of the car. FiL was advised by the hospital team on his discharge in January not to drive and then he went straight into respite care. And of course in March, to the care home we found locally. Their car is now sitting unused, on our insurance, until we sell it and stick the money in their account.
The hard part is FiL is now convinced that he simply has to re-apply for his Licence and he can drive again. The thing is, his Licence hasn't expired and doesn't until Dec 2015. He has asked and asked for the form to renew it, in the end we gave it to him to keep the peace. He was unable to complete the form. He couldn't even 'sign within the white box' in black ink. Although his eyesight passes the minimum requirement for driving, the optician advised us she couldn't complete the full exam as he didn't have the mental comprehension necessary for all the tests. Physically his arthritis is bad and he has great trouble just getting into a car. I can't even imagine how he'd cope with a tricky parking manoeuvre or simply having the strength/mobility to use the pedals. He admits he doesn't know where he is and has got lost when driving in recent years.
Our plan of action is to complete the form for him, as he has begged us to do, and to fill in all the notifiable medical conditions as he's not informed DVLA of his ill health. And send it off complete with signature in the wrong place and in the wrong colour ink. And trust that DVLA in their infinite wisdom will then be the Bad News Bears, rather than us, telling him they can't renew his Licence. I hope this doesn't sound too cruel. I rang our own insurers, purely academically to see what they thought, and whether any company would even consider insuring him with his history and they said ‘No.’ Which was a relief to hear!
Maybe we were a bit sneaky, but when Fil was in hospital, his motor insurance policy was due for renewal and we simply let it lapse. Prior to that, he'd been involved in a collision with a stationary tractor and written his car off. He was given a courtesy car (had a minor bump in that car, too) until the settlement cheque was issued by his insurers. Obviously he had to return the courtesy car on receipt of the cheque, so he rushed out and bought another car for cash. Within a few weeks, he had the fall and the fractured hip which hospitalised him for two months. MiL had already been advised by her GP that she wasn't fit to drive though she's still the registered keeper of the car. FiL was advised by the hospital team on his discharge in January not to drive and then he went straight into respite care. And of course in March, to the care home we found locally. Their car is now sitting unused, on our insurance, until we sell it and stick the money in their account.
The hard part is FiL is now convinced that he simply has to re-apply for his Licence and he can drive again. The thing is, his Licence hasn't expired and doesn't until Dec 2015. He has asked and asked for the form to renew it, in the end we gave it to him to keep the peace. He was unable to complete the form. He couldn't even 'sign within the white box' in black ink. Although his eyesight passes the minimum requirement for driving, the optician advised us she couldn't complete the full exam as he didn't have the mental comprehension necessary for all the tests. Physically his arthritis is bad and he has great trouble just getting into a car. I can't even imagine how he'd cope with a tricky parking manoeuvre or simply having the strength/mobility to use the pedals. He admits he doesn't know where he is and has got lost when driving in recent years.
Our plan of action is to complete the form for him, as he has begged us to do, and to fill in all the notifiable medical conditions as he's not informed DVLA of his ill health. And send it off complete with signature in the wrong place and in the wrong colour ink. And trust that DVLA in their infinite wisdom will then be the Bad News Bears, rather than us, telling him they can't renew his Licence. I hope this doesn't sound too cruel. I rang our own insurers, purely academically to see what they thought, and whether any company would even consider insuring him with his history and they said ‘No.’ Which was a relief to hear!
