Car Driving With Mental Health Condition

Initially, learning to drive or being in the first years of experiencing the road with the car gives a feeling of anxiety for lots of young and novice drivers. Yet, it is something that do not have a great impact on their driving ability for some of them. It is just some kind of seeking for strategies on dealing with stress and unknown fear. However, like driving on drugs, drivers must have to think twice.

The good thing about it is that there are some tips in order to control and handle anxiety attacks while driving. Aside from the mental health billing, knowing the mentally distracted individuals rights as a driver is an important factor to consider. Below are some helpful advice that lead to the right direction.

Telling the mental health condition to DVLA

Generally, DVLA or the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has a particular guidance and protocol that they follow. There are conditions where specific information are required by the DVLA. Yet, other conditions are only needed to be declared in cases that it may affect the driving ability of the person.

Mental health conditions that must be informed to DVLA

• Bipolar disorder
• Paranoid schizophrenia
• Psychosis
• Psychotic depression
• Schizoaffective disorder
• Schizophrenia

How to tell DVLA regarding the mental health condition?

In case the driver’s license is for an initial application, the application form has a section that requires the individual’s health condition. In this section, the condition about the mental illness must be included, in case it is needed to be declared.

On the other hand, if the license is already available the time a mental health condition is diagnosed that should be declared, a DVLA Medical Questionnaire or the M1 online form must be filled-up. In addition, a form confirming that the person or driver is authorizing the DVLA to contact his attending physician for medical condition details must also be signed.

The DVLA Decision

After declaring the mental health condition to the DVLA, the agency may then advise the driver if he can drive or may continue to drive within 3 weeks of the receipt of the form. There are some situations that the DVLA may need extra information from the attending physician or inquire regarding the attendance to a local medical assessment.

A confirmation letter containing the DVLA’s decision will be sent to the driver once a decision has been made.

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