Motorists could face a £1,000 fine simply for suffering from one of 200 common ailments, from arthritis to high blood pressure

Medical conditions ranging from anorexia and agoraphobia to high blood pressure or kidney problems are among those that drivers are required by law to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about.
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But motoring chiefs fear millions of Brits have failed to disclose their conditions, partly because some of them are so obscure.

The more bizarre include cataplexy, in which strong emotion or laughter causes sudden physical collapse, and deja vu, according to leading vehicle leasing firm Select Car Leasing.

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The firm’s director Mark Tongue said it was vital drivers were aware of the health conditions they are required to tell the DVLA about by law.

The more bizarre include cataplexy, in which strong emotion or laughter causes sudden physical collapse, and deja vu, according to leading vehicle leasing firmSelect Car Leasing.The more bizarre include cataplexy, in which strong emotion or laughter causes sudden physical collapse, and deja vu, according to leading vehicle leasing firmSelect Car Leasing.
The more bizarre include cataplexy, in which strong emotion or laughter causes sudden physical collapse, and deja vu, according to leading vehicle leasing firmSelect Car Leasing.

He said: “These conditions have been identified so that the roads are kept as safe as possible.

“But many drivers may be somewhat surprised by how many medical conditions are notifiable and exactly which they are.

“Some are quite obvious, such as alcoholism, brain injury, strokes and various amputations.

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“Others are less so and include some cancers, several hearing problems, arthritis and Asperger syndrome.

“I imagine many women would be surprise to know that having a Caesarean is also on the DVLA’s list.

“It comes under the category of surgical procedures, but it does not mean they will be stopped from driving.

“Most of the listed conditions can be taken on the road and driving engaged with perfectly safely.

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"But motorists do need to be aware that if they develop a new medical condition they may have to inform the DVLA."

Those who fail to disclose their condition face a £1,000 fine, may have their motoring insurance invalidated, and could be prosecuted if involved in a crash.

The list of notifiable conditions includes many that are less of a surprise, including muscle-wasting illness multiple sclerosis and brain haemorrhages.

Bipolar disorder, sleeping disorder narcolepsy, Syncope – a temporary loss of consciousness – and Parkinson’s disease, caused by degeneration of the nervous system, are included.

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The list also extends to motor neurone disease, vertigo, tunnel vision, night blindness, seizures and depression.

People wishing to contact the DVLA about a medical condition can do so online or by post.

They will then be notified by the government’s driving authority of which restrictions, if any, they must abide by.

The DVLA can impose a restriction on driving of up to three years, with a re-examination then being required.

CONDITIONS INCLUDE:

A

Absence seizures

Acoustic neuroma

Addison’s disease

Agoraphobia

AIDS

Alcohol problems

Alzheimer’s disease

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amputations

Angina

Angioma

Angioplasty

Ankylosing spondylitis

Anorexia nervosa

Anxiety

Aortic aneurysm

Arachnoid cyst Arrhythmia

Atrial defibrillator

Arteriovenous malformation

Arthritis

Asperger syndrome

Ataxia

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Autistic spectrum condition (ASC)

B

Balloon angioplasty (leg)

Bipolar disorder

Blackouts

Blepharospasm

Blood clots

Blood pressure

Brachial plexus injury

Brain abscess, cyst or encephalitis

Brain aneurysm

Brain angioma

Brain haemorrhage

Brain injury (traumatic)

Brain tumours

Branch retinal vein occlusion

Broken limbs and driving

Brugada syndrome

Burr hole surgery

C

Caesarean section

Cancer

Cataracts

Catheter ablation

Cardiac problems

Carotid artery stenosis

Cataplexy

Central venous thrombosis

Cerebral palsy

Chiari malformation

Chronic aortic dissection

Cognitive problems

Congenital heart disease

Convulsions

Coronary artery bypass or disease

Coronary angioplasty

Cystic fibrosis

D

Deafness

Defibrillator

Déjà vu

Dementia

Depression

Diabetes

Diabetic retinopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Diplopia (double vision)

Dizziness

Drug misuse

E

Eating disorders

Empyema (brain)

Epilepsy

Essential tremor

F

Fainting

Fits

Fractured skull

Friedreich’s ataxia

G

Glaucoma

Global amnesia

Grand mal seizures

Guillain-Barré syndrome

H

Head injury

Heart attack

Heart arrhythmia

Heart failure

Heart murmurs

Heart palpitations

Heart valve disease or replacement valve

Hemianopia

High blood pressure

HIV

Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Huntington’s disease

Hydrocephalus

Hypertension

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypoglycaemia

Hypoxic brain damage

Hysterectomy

I

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)

Intracerebral haemorrhage

Ischaemic heart disease

K

Kidney dialysis

Kidney problems

Korsakoff’s syndrome

L

Labyrinthitis

Learning difficulties

Left bundle branch block

Leukaemia

Lewy body dementia

Limb disability

Long QT syndrome

Low blood sugar

Lumboperitoneal shunt

Lung cancer

Lymphoma

M

Macular degeneration

Malignant brain tumours

Malignant melanoma

Manic depressive psychosis

Marfan syndrome

Medulloblastoma

Memory problems (severe)

Meningioma

Mini-stroke

Monocular vision

Motor neurone disease

Multiple sclerosis

Muscular dystrophy

Myasthenia gravis

Myocardial infarction

Myoclonus

N

Narcolepsy

Night blindness

Nystagmus

O

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Obstructive sleep apnoea

Optic atrophy

Optic neuritis

P

Pacemakers

Palpitations

Paranoia

Paranoid schizophrenia

Paraplegia

Parkinson’s disease

Peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral neuropathy

Personality disorder

Petit mal seizures

Pituitary tumour

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Psychosis

Psychotic depression

Pulmonary hypertension

R

Renal dialysis

Retinal treatment

Retinopathy

S

Schizo-affective disorder

Schizophrenia

Scotoma

Seizures

Severe communication disorders

Sight in one eye only

Sleep apnoea

Sleepiness (excessive)

Spinal problems and injuries and driving

Stroke

Subarachnoid haemorrhage

Surgery

Syncope

T

Tachycardia

Temporal lobe epilepsy

Tonic clonic fits

Tourette’s syndrome

Transient global amnesia

Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)

Tunnel vision

U

Usher syndrome

V

Valve disease or replacement valve

Ventricular defibrillator

Vertigo

Vision in one eye only

Visual acuity (reduced)

Visual field defects

VP shunts

W

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

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