Older drivers are at risk of being slapped with a £1,000 fine if they are diagnosed with a common illness, according to experts. Specialists at the Older Drivers Forum have explained road users diagnosed with dementia must inform the DVLA or risk facing the bill.
Dementia is a serious condition, with damage to nerve cells in the brain leading to consequences such as memory loss. Age is the biggest risk factor for dementia, with elderly individuals more at risk of developing the condition. It is believed that an estimated 982,000 people are currently living with dementia in the UK, meaning many may be breaking the rules when it comes to driving.
Drivers must inform the DVLA if they are suffering from dementia (Image: Getty)
The Older Drivers Forum explained: “If you are diagnosed with any form of dementia, you must inform the DVLA straight away, failure to do so may incur a fine up to £1,000.”
Informing the DVLA doesn’t signal the end for motorists freedoms, with many able to keep their licence and stay on the road. If a person with dementia wants to keep driving, the DVLA will usually ask about the person’s medical information and decide if they are safe to stay behind the wheel. The DVLA may also ask the person to undergo a driving assessment to test their abilities..
The Older Drivers Forum added: “A diagnosis of dementia is not in itself a reason to stop driving. One in every three people with dementia still drives. What matters, from both a legal and a practical point of view, is whether the person is still able to drive safely.”
However, some people diagnosed with the condition decide to stop driving and send their licence back to DVLA in what is known as a voluntary surrender.
The Alzheimer’s Society stressed that it was motorists duty to inform the DVLA of a condition as soon as possible. They stressed road users weren’t just risking a fine, with car insurance agreements also at risk.
They said: “Some people who are diagnosed with dementia do not tell the driver licensing authorities and keep driving. This may be because they do not accept or recognise their diagnosis, or they aren’t aware of how much their dementia is affecting their driving.
“Not telling DVLA/DVA puts the person at risk of a fine and arrest as well as a possible accident. It also puts them in danger of driving without insurance as their policy may now be invalid.”