My daughter, who is battling cancer, was moved into hospice care on Christmas Eve. As her caregiver and the primary caregiver for her two young children, I find myself deeply entrenched in their lives. We both reside in remote villages where public transportation is non-existent, necessitating a vehicle to ensure I can reach her at a moment’s notice. However, unexpectedly last summer, the DVLA suspended my driving privileges until December and demanded I return my driver’s license.
Despite the urgency of my situation, the DVLA has yet to reinstate my license. As a result, there were instances when I couldn’t reach my daughter in time to look after the grandchildren, thus preventing her husband from accompanying her during urgent late-night visits to the emergency room.
The thought of potentially not being by my daughter’s side when she passes or not being able to fully care for her children afterwards is overwhelmingly distressing.
The root of this issue dates back to a minor head injury I sustained last June, leading to a temporary medical advice against driving for two weeks—a recommendation promptly reported to the DVLA. After the stipulated period, the DVLA verbally confirmed that I was cleared to drive again, provided I submitted a medical form along with my discharge notes, which I did, and thereafter continued to drive without any issues.
However, two months later, I received an abrupt notice from the DVLA instructing me to cease driving immediately until early December and to surrender my license, without any clear explanation or justification for this directive based on my medical data.
I reapplied for my license in October, as directed, hoping it would be reinstated by December. Nevertheless, December came and went with no word from the DVLA. Despite multiple pleas for an update, knowing my dire circumstances, the DVLA only reiterated that my application was still under process.
After learning about your situation, I promptly contacted the DVLA on your behalf. They called you the following day to inform you that your driving privileges had been restored. Tragically, your daughter passed away three days later, but thankfully, you were by her side.
I questioned the DVLA regarding the medical evidence that influenced their decision to prohibit you from driving, why there was a delay of two months before enforcing this decision, and why there was a further delay in reissuing your license. Given the frequency of complaints about similar delays, I also inquired whether a backlog was contributing to these issues.
The DVLA did not directly answer these questions. They only stated that they review medical declarations from drivers and act accordingly. They mentioned that delays can occur if additional information is needed, though you were never informed that this was the case. They also indicated that a new system is being introduced which should significantly improve the process for drivers with medical conditions.
We invite our readers to share their experiences and concerns, although we cannot respond to each letter individually. Please contact us via email at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Remember to include a daytime contact number. All letters submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions.
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