More than 944,000 people have dementia in the UK. It affects lots of people differently, but it can be especially difficult when it comes to being able to drive.
Read our guide on everything you need to know about dementia and driving.
What is dementia?
Dementia is when someone’s brain functioning gets significantly worse – for instance, their ability to reason or remember things.
There are many different types of dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way.
According to the NHS, there are some common early symptoms that may appear some time before you're diagnosed. These include:
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right words
- being confused about time and place
- mood changes
Driving with dementia
People with dementia may still be able to drive safely for quite a while after they’ve been diagnosed.
But because dementia is a disease which gets worse over time, there will eventually be a point when they’ll need to stop driving completely.
Losing the ability to drive can have a significant impact on someone's independence and wellbeing.
But if it’s no longer safe for them to drive, this can be a big concern to loved ones because they could be putting themselves and others at risk.
Making the decision to ask someone to stop can be difficult and hard to talk about.
How to know when it’s time to stop driving
There are a few things that mean it’s probably time for you or your loved one to stop driving.
These include:
- confusing the pedals
- getting lost when driving familiar routes
- not being able to stay within the lane
- either speeding regularly or driving too slow
- getting confused, angry or upset when driving
- getting into accidents or making slow and unsafe decisions
- hitting the curb regularly
Dementia and driving laws
By law, you must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if you suffer from dementia (or the DVA in Northern Ireland).
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell the DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.
How do I let the DVLA know about my dementia?
You can do this by contacting them by phone, email or post. DVLA contact details can be found at GOV.UK.
If you’re writing in, you’ll need to download and fill in form CG1, before sending it to the address on the form.
You’ll be asked to fill in the details of your GP and consultant, the name of any clinics you’re attending and details of your medication, including the name, dosage and reason for taking it.
When you download the form, you’ll also receive a medical consent form which will give the DVLA the authority to write to your GP and/or consultant to get any relevant medical information.
Medical advisers at the DVLA will then decide between three options:
- Cancel your driving licence immediately
- Renew your licence, typically for one to three years before reassessment
- Request more medical information, or ask you to take an on-road driving assessment
You must also inform your car insurance provider. If you don't, your policy may become invalid.
Driving assessment
The DVLA may ask you to do a driving assessment, to figure out whether you’re safe to continue to drive.
There are accredited driving assessment centres across the UK and each main one has a satellite centre which may be more convenient for you to get to.
In cases where the DVLA/DVA have asked for the assessment, the agency will pay the fee.
Some things to know before you attend are:
- You need to bring your driving licence and any glasses you need to wear to drive.
- You should bring a family member or friend with you in case you need to be driven home.
- It’s not like a driving test – it's an overall assessment of how much your dementia is impacting you’re driving.
- It’s carried out by a specialist occupational therapist and an advanced driving instructor.
- It can take around two hours.
Useful links
If you need some extra support, here are a few useful links.
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