Driving Test Failed

naeemsyed

Hi

My son (24years) went for his driving test and as he could not read the last alphabet of the registration plate from 20 feet, the examiner failed him and now he has received a letter from DVLA that his provisional licence is being cancelled.

I took him to the optician to have his eyes tested and he has been prescribed glasses to wear which has resolved the sharpness of his vision.

My query is;

1. Can he appeal the decision that DVLA has made to revoke his provisional licence?

2. He is unemployed. Can he get legal aid so he can get legal help?

Need advice and help please.

Thanks

Naeem

[Deleted User]

I don't have the answer to your questions, but I do have experience of the DVLA. They confiscate your licence first and ask questions later.

When I rang them with a query, I had my licence confiscated on the spot by a kid in the call centre who asked "what's a migraine". I then had a five month wait to get it back. The staff in the call centre just stonewall, they're under strict instructions not to answer any questions or transfer you to anybody who will.

I didn't get anywhere writing either, or writing to my MP, once you're caught up in the system there's no choice but to wait as long as it takes for the cogs to grind.

yangptangkipperbang

1. He can apply to have his licence re-instated.
2. What does he need legal aid for ? If it is anything to do with this "case" - he was in the wrong, he should not have been driving with defective eyesight. He could have been prosecuted !

Horseunderwater

When you apply for a provisional Driving licence one of the questions asked is can you read a licence plate at 20 feet? His instructor should have done this test too. I had same problem a week before my 1st driving test back in 1981 and had to get glasses promptly. So the onus was on your son to check his sight as well as his instructor.

spacey2012

Who was teaching him to drive ? surely they should have made sure he could see before letting him in the car ?

Slowhand

20 feet? Used to be 20 metres and now is 17.5 metres I think.

OddballJamie

Slowhand wrote: »

20 feet? Used to be 20 metres and now is 17.5 metres I think.

I know, if you can't see 20 feet you shouldn't even be driving a bumper car at the fair.

Aretnap

He can apply for a new licence. He'll just have to take a new eyesight test (with his glasses on, at a driving test centre) when he applies for his provisional licence, and again as part of his driving test.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

Prothet_of_Doom

I'd like to see random eye tests carried out on all drivers, with similar instant ban on those that fail, which would surely take the worst offenders off the roads until they have been to see an optician.

If you can't read a numberplate at 20 foot, then you are really not safe.

I'd be having words with the instructor, because my daughter is learning to drive and the VERY first thing he does every leason is to point to a car and ask her the read the letters.

naeemsyed

Thanks for all your replies. All during his driving lessons he never had a problem with driving due to his sight, nor did his driving instructor feel that he had a problem, so it never occurred to us to have his eyesight checked.

Moving forward. Now that he has glasses and can see clearly. Can this current decision by DVLA to revoke his provisional driving license be appealed against?

If NOT then is the only solution to reapply for another provisional driving license?

OddballJamie

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

I'd be having words with the instructor, because my daughter is learning to drive and the VERY first thing he does every leason is to point to a car and ask her the read the letters.

Bit bizarre, sounds like he's padding the lesson out.