Disability Fit to drive ?

maggy50

Our friend has a mobility car but I did not realise he is driving with a heart condition ?
Is this allowed ?
He is in his 80s and to be honest he drives very fast and impatient with other drivers .
In my opinion he should not be driving why is he being allowed to drive surely his gp must report to the DVLA.

antrobus

maggy50 wrote: »

Our friend has a mobility car but I did not realise he is driving with a heart condition ? Is this allowed ?...

Depends on what kind of "heart condition". What kind do you think he has.
https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving

maggy50 wrote: »

....He is in his 80s and to be honest he drives very fast and impatient with other drivers .
In my opinion he should not be driving why is he being allowed to drive surely his gp must report to the DVLA.

Correct.

Doctors must inform the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland), if a patient continues to drive against medical advice and fails to do this themselves.

http://www.gmc-uk.org/news/27477.asp

Perhaps his GP is of a different opinion?

iamlucky18

Is it possible for him to lose consciousness at any point with his heart condition? It might sound stupid, but it's possible to have a heart condition but yet not lose consciousness even after a physical activity - I'm talking from experience here as I used to suffer from congenital aortic stenosis.

The key key thing is the RISK of losing consciousness, and if there is then no he shouldn't be driving in my honest opinion. These types of conditions should be reported and discussed with the GP/DVLA at the earliest.

maggy50

Since posting I've found that he has a pacemaker fitted .
The very same day I posted 2 paramedics in separate vehicles came to him and then an ambulance arrived a day took him to hospital.
He was back within 24hrs back behind the wheel .
Therefore what he has must be passed for driving

w06

Don't quite follow your logic but a 'heart condition' doesn't necessarily mean he can't drive, depends on the nature of it.

unforeseen

If he has a pacemaker then he should have informed DVLA. It is a mandatory requirement

https://www.gov.uk/pacemakers-and-driving

[Deleted User]

It is also the drivers responsibility to inform DVLA. Don't expect or rely on he GP doing it.

Got stung for that myself, I took more than 6 months to tell them as I was waiting for them to get in touch assuming my GP had done it.

unforeseen

https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail/dvla/en/drivers_med_03.html

Tommo1980

If you are genuienly concerened about your friends welfare why not talk to him about it rather than posting about his business on a public forum.

iamlucky18

With a pacemaker fitted there is a risk for losing consciousness. It's purpose is to provide impulses to the heart in the event of arrhythmia or the heart stopping, and in these situations either your awareness will be severely reduced or will completely be unconscious. Therefore, in my view not fit to drive.

Don't forget that that pacemakers are prone to malfunction.

The ambulance crew wouldn't have had the right to revoke your friends license, only the DVLA.

maggy50

Not named him have I ?
You sound as if you have similar issues !!