We use some essential cookies to make this website work.
We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.
We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
You have accepted additional cookies.
You have rejected additional cookies.
Departments, agencies and public bodies
News stories, speeches, letters and notices
Detailed guidance, regulations and rules
Reports, analysis and official statistics
Consultations and strategy
Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports
Advice for medical professionals for assessing fitness to drive.
This advice is for medical professionals to follow when assessing a patient’s fitness to drive. It is usually updated every 12 months.
We advise you to bookmark this page so you always use the most up to date information in the guide.
Fill in a one question survey to help DVLA improve its communications with medical professionals.
Sign up for email alerts to be notified of changes to this guide.
Driving involves a complex and rapidly repeating cycle that requires a level of skill and the ability to interact simultaneously with both the vehicle and the external environment.
Information about the environment is via the visual and auditory senses and is operated on by many cognitive processes (including short- and long-term memory, and judgement) to affect decisions for the driving task in hand. These decisions are enacted by the musculoskeletal system, which acts on the controls of the vehicle and its relation to the road and other users.
The whole process is coordinated by complex interactions involving behaviour, strategic and tactical abilities, and personality. In the face of illness or disability, adaptive strategies are important for maintaining safe driving.
Safe driving requires, among other elements, the involvement of:
Given these requirements, it follows that many body systems need to be functional for safe driving – and injury or disease may affect any one or more of these abilities for safe driving.
The drivers’ medical section within DVLA deals with all aspects of driver licensing when there are medical conditions that impact, or potentially impact, on safe control of a vehicle.
To do this, DVLA develops and works within guidance, and this publication summarises the national medical guidelines on fitness to drive. It is intended to assist doctors and other healthcare professionals in advising their patients:
Some of the guidelines – for example, those around diabetes mellitus, epilepsy and vision – are set against legislative requirements (see Appendix A for details) but others are the result of advice from the 6 Honorary Medical Advisory Panels to the Secretary of State, which cover:
Each panel consists of acknowledged experts in the relevant area and includes DVLA and lay membership. The panels meet biannually and, between meetings, give continual advice to the Secretary of State and DVLA.
The medical standards are continually reviewed and updated when indicated in light of recent developments in medicine generally, and traffic medicine in particular.
This guide is also available as a PDF.
Survey for medical professionals added.
First published.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.
