Alcohol and your driving

Transcription

1 Addiction Services Alcohol and your driving Information for you Follow us on Find us on Facebook at Visit our website: All our publications are available in other formats

2 Why have I been given this leaflet? The Road Traffic Act requires licence holders or applicants to tell the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any disability likely to affect safe driving. This leaflet informs you of your responsibilities if driving. How does the DVLA define alcohol problems? The DVLA is legally responsible for deciding if a person is medically unfit to drive. They need to know when driving licence holders have a condition, which may, now or in the future, affect their safety as a driver. There are two types of alcohol problem identified by the DVLA. Dependency includes signs and symptoms such as: A strong desire to take alcohol Difficulties in controlling its use Persistence in its use despite harmful consequences with evidence of increased tolerance Withdrawal symptoms 2

3 Persistent use Means recurrent episodes which cause disturbances of behaviour Related disease or other consequences likely to cause the patient, his/her family or society harm now, or in the future, and which may or may not be associated with dependency What are my responsibilities? You have a legal duty to inform the DVLA immediately about any form of disability that is alcohol related. This means if you are either alcohol dependent or persistently misuse it, you must stop driving until the DVLA tells you otherwise. If you are involved in an accident and have not told the DVLA of your current medical condition then you may be prosecuted and your insurance may not be valid. 3

4 What if I don t feel that my alcohol intake is a problem? If you disagree with the diagnosis or the effect the condition can have on your ability to drive, you can get a second opinion. However, you must still avoid driving until such an opinion has been provided. What will happen if I still drive? If you continue to drive against advice, and evidence is found that you are continuing to drive, relevant medical information will be disclosed to the medical adviser at the DVLA. 4

5 The service will inform you of any disclosure made to the DVLA. How long am I likely to be unable to drive? Substance Revocation/refusal period Persistence use of alcohol Alcohol dependence Alcohol related seizures one episode Alcohol related seizures more than one episode 6 months of controlled drinking or abstinence 1 year free of alcohol related problems. Abstinence will normally be required. 6 months Epilepsy regulations apply You will then be required to apply for your licence and undertake a medical examination. 5

6 Checking your health You should check with your worker or GP that you can meet the medical standards of fitness to drive before you re-apply for your driving licence. These standards are set out in the At a glance guide to the current standards of fitness to drive. All practitioners have access to this publication. For further information on fitness to drive and medical rules for all drivers please visit the website: If you are driving or are planning to drive please arrange an appointment with your worker or GP as soon as possible. 6

7 Your notes 7

8 All of our publications are available in different languages, larger print, braille (English only), audio tape or another format of your choice. Tha gach sgrìobhainn againn rim faotainn ann an diofar chànanan, clò nas motha, Braille (Beurla a-mhàin), teip claistinn no riochd eile a tha sibh airson a thaghadh Tell us what you think... If you would like to comment on any issues raised by this document, please complete this form and return it to: Communications Department, 28 Lister Street, University Hospital Crosshouse, Crosshouse KA2 0BB. You can also us at: comms@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk. If you provide your contact details, we will acknowledge your comments and pass them to the appropriate departments for a response. Name Address Comment Last reviewed: July 2017 Leaflet reference: AS GD PIL code: PIL