Medical conditions most likely to cost drivers their licences
Revealed: The medical conditions likely to cost drivers their licenses – and 580,000 have been withdrawn for health reasons in the past decade
- Since 2014, nearly 580,000 licenses have been revoked on medical grounds
- As early as 2023, 23,669 drivers lost their right to get behind the wheel
- We reveal the 10 most common conditions associated with driver license loss
More than half a million British drivers have had their licenses withdrawn on medical grounds in the past decade, according to exclusive figures from This is Money.
According to official data, between January 1, 2014 and June 1, 2023, nearly 580,000 motorists were taken off the road due to health problems.
And we can reveal the ten most common conditions that have led to drivers’ licenses being revoked in Britain because the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency no longer deems them fit to drive.
Since early 2014, nearly 580,000 drivers in the UK have had their licenses revoked for medical reasons
The data was shared in response to a freedom of information request to the DVLA by car leasing comparison site LeaseLoco.
It shows that a total of some 579,493 driver’s licenses have been revoked since early 2014 when the agency cracked down on drivers it deems no longer fit for the road.
The figures show that the number of licenses revoked peaked in 2018, with 73,724 revokes in that year.
And as early as 2023 (until June 1), 23,669 British drivers will have lost their right to get behind the wheel due to medical conditions.
Almost nine out of ten (88 percent) of them have a car or motorcycle license (20,712), while the remaining 2,957 are truck or bus drivers.
And the data shows that just under 90,000 drivers (89,361) have had their driving licenses revoked since the beginning of 2022 until the beginning of this month.
Of these, more than two-thirds (59,930) of drivers were 50 or older, 8,650 were under 30, and 1,810 teenage drivers lost their licenses due to medical conditions.
The most common conditions that cost drivers their driver’s licenses
Dementia and alcohol dependence were the two most common reasons for the DVLA to medically revoke a driver’s license, with more than 16,000 driver’s licenses canceled since early 2022.
The top ten medical conditions resulting in suspended driver’s licenses include diplopia, epilepsy, vascular or arterial disease, cataracts, seizures, vertigo, drug insecurity, and sleep apnea.
John Wilmot, CEO of LeaseLoco, says the half million revoked licenses over the past decade is “just the tip of the iceberg.” many others are driving with a medical condition but have failed to notify the appropriate authorities.
‘You could be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell the DVLA about a medical condition affecting your driving, but is that really a deterrent enough?
“With so many of us relying on our cars for work and pleasure, there will be drivers on the road who think it is worth the risk to remain silent, as surrendering their license could mean losing their mobility, their job and lose their family. and friends.’
If a driver’s license is revoked for medical reasons, he can reapply for his license once his doctor says he meets the medical standards for driving.
The rules are different if a driver voluntarily surrenders his driving licence.
Under these circumstances, you may drive while your driver’s license is being renewed if you have the support of your doctor, a valid driver’s license, you are only driving under the terms of the previous driver’s license, you have not been disqualified, your last driver’s license has not been revoked and your application has been less than 12 months old.