Health, medication, and mobility
All drivers, whatever their age, are required by law to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of the onset or worsening of a medical condition which may affect their ability to drive safely. These include any heart condition, epilepsy, diabetes, and difficulty in the use of limbs affecting a driver’s ability to control a vehicle and include previous health conditions.
GOV.UK - Medical conditions, disabilities and driving
Medication
It’s difficult to predict whether a particular medication will affect a person’s ability to drive safely. Everyone reacts in different ways and sometimes you don’t even notice the effects until it’s too late. The combined effect of alcohol and medication is even worse.
With over 50% of over 65s taking some form of medication, it’s important to always ask your GP or pharmacist whether your medication (even over the counter medicines) or poly pharmacy (combinations of multiple medications) might affect your driving. Please remember, it is illegal to take someone else’s prescribed medication.
It might be worth considering planning the timing of taking medication to avoid side effects or symptoms.
Avoid driving if you feel drowsy, dizzy, light headed, having difficulty concentrating, feeling edgy, generally unwell, nauseous or have any loss of coordination or loss of sensation in your limbs.
Mobility
Stiff joints, arthritis or muscular problems can affect your mobility making steering, changing gear, and even applying the handbrake more difficult.
- Talk to your GP about what exercise is appropriate for you. Balance & flexibility are considered to be key abilities to maintain or improve to help us as we age.
- If changing gear becomes painful/difficult, you could consider an automatic vehicle. Other features, such as a heated steering wheel/seats, easy to reach pedals, a shorter bonnet and sensors could also be considerations when changing car, to help you drive more easily/confidently.
- Using a Sat Nav (GPS) or smartphone maps in the car has been linked to helping older drivers maintain driving independence, although the software would need updating.
- For driving mobility centres, please visit Driving Mobility, or RDAC.
- For disability or mobility scooter training, view the Road safety advice for mobility scooter users video on YouTube.
- When driving taking frequent breaks to stretch and move around.