- Do you need to drive a vehicle fitted with special controls or automatic transition?
Do I have to answer yes to this if I can still drive normally but its just not ideal for safety reasons…? i CAN drive normally but I cant feel the pedals properly so its not really safe to… so technically I dont NEEEED special controls but it WOULD be safer. I will be getting special controls eventually voluntarily for the days my legs arent so good.
- If you have answered YES to this question, please answer 9a
Where IS question 9a???
- Does your medical condition affect your ability to control your vehicle safely?
Im assuming this would be a yes due to the not being able to feel pedals well. But can I send a letter iondicating that my condition fluctuates and that I wouldnt drive on the days I dont feel i can drive safely?
I WOULD GIVE THEM A RING AND SPEAK TO SOMEONE FROM THE MEDICAL BIT.AT LEAST THEN YOU KNOW THAT ANY INFO YOU GIVE THEM IS RIGHT.
Pip
I had this problem a few months ago, I emailed but didn’t get the answer I expected so gave them a ring.
If you say you NEED special controls then your normal licence would be revoked. I suppose this would be if you’d had an assessment which came to the conclusion that it was needed
I was told by DVLA if you CHOOSE to drive an automatic/have hand controls then that’s up to you and you sign to say that it is not a necessity.
I can’t remember what I did for the other qustion.
Sarah
I think you’ve answered it yourself in the fact that you cannot control the car safely,I know its not nice having to face facts that we can no longer do things that came as granted for us,but if you had an accident that was caused by yourself or another person, not declaring your problems could lead to a lot of trouble. Have a look at hand controls for the now not the future.I suffer exactly same probs you have and hand controls have made a huge difference to me. Please dont wait for a near miss or worse,start looking at controls right away.
All the best
Ricky
Hi, I’m not much help, it is years since I told the dvla, but if your problem is feeling the pedals, why don’t you just fit hand controls, then you wouldn’t have the problem of wondering if you are good enough to feel the pedals. I’m not sure what dvla would think about you saying you wouldnt drive on the days you didn’t feel you could drive safely, because, to me, that sounds a bit subjective. With hand controls you you’d feel safe all the time. You would need an automatic car, which I think you said it was, excuse me if Im mixing you up with someone else. Does anyone else drive your car. They would still be able to drive it normally. But,as pip suggested,phoning them sounds like a good idea. Cheryl:-)
True… upy… I think the plan then should be to lock the car in the garage… get some hand controls… THEN tell the DVLA Im safe to drive! Might phone them in a bit then!
Hi again, you could phone the dvla and tell them, also tell your insurance, now you are fully compliant with the law. Don’t drive and assuming you have an automatic car and can afford to do so, arrange to have hand controls fitted ASAP, phone the garage, most should have a special mobility advisor, and tell you you need hand controls fitted. They should be able to help. Then by the time you get the DVLA form filled in, you will be able to write on that you have hand controls, still mention the numb feet of course. I think as Dogtanion says if you say you need hand controls to drive because of numb feet they will revoke your licence. You will then have to sort out hand controls (sounds like you need them anyway tbh) and apply to get your licence back, which will draw out the process and make the whole thing more stressful. I have read comments on here before about people needing to do a driving assessment to get hand controls, maybe things have changed but 10 years ago I just asked to get hand controls fitted and drove away. Your garage will advise. Cheryl:-)
Hi
I’m with Ricky on this one - you’ve said technically you don’t need hand controls but then also that you can’t feel the pedals. So I’d say, if you can’t feel the pedals, then technically you do need hand controls.
It’s worth saying that your symptoms can vary but, as potentially inconvenient as it might be, safety really is the only option when people’s lives are at stake.
Dan
Yeah I know, Ive already made alternative arrangements for my appointments, and the car is going away. I cant even bring myself to drive again. The thought of hurting anyone or my husband or baby is just too powerful… and i wont risk it!
Im going to just forget about driving and the car completely for now, and see what happens with my DLA. Then I will decide what to do. Cause Im not sure theres any financial help for adaptations unless you recieve DLA is there?