Driving after a stroke

Many people have questions about what they can and can not do after a stroke. One of the biggest questions has to do with driving after a stroke. Can you or can't you?

In truth, returning to driving after a stroke is an important part of recovery, but is not possible for everyone. There are several reasons why it may not be possible to drive after a stroke, for example the stroke survivor may have problems with their vision or mobility. Some suffer from paralysis that limits their mobility. So, whether or not you can drive after a stroke will be dependant on your particular condition. However, there are some regulations for driving after a stroke, and driving assessments that must be made, before you will be allowed to drive. If you do not meet these requirements or pass the assessments, your license will be revoked.

The first thing that must be done in order to be legal to drive after a stroke of TIA is be medically assessed. Why? Well, a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) may cause damage to part of the brain and affect your ability to move, see, remember or concentrate. This may make it difficult or unsafe to drive, at least temporarily. Because of these potential effects, you must not drive after a stroke or TIA until you have been medically assessed, and approved for driving.

While you may feel up to driving, and capable, for safety reasons, the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) has strict guidelines about who may and may not drive, which include guidelines for post stroke. One guideline states that because of the potential effects of stroke or a TIA, you are not allowed to drive for at least a month after the event. Then after that time, if your doctor agrees you are fit to drive, you may resume doing so.

However, if your doctor feels that you are not yet fit to drive, you must then inform the DVLA and also your insurance company about your situation, and must be assessed further if in the future you again wish to be legal to drive. You then can be assessed again, but you are still not allowed to drive until given permission from the DVLA. Once the DVLA has been notified of your condition, they will send you a questionnaire to fill in and will ask permission to contact your doctor for further information about your condition, if necessary.

Driving after a stroke may be impossible especially if you have had frequent TIAs. If this is the case, you will be advised not to drive until you have had a three-month period free from attacks. This period must be documented by a doctor. If your doctor agrees that it is safe for you to drive after the three-month free of attacks period you may do so while the DVLA is making inquiries and coming to a decision, however, should they decide you are not safe to drive, you must stop driving immediately.

The DVLA will make an assessment of your driving ability, and they base their decision on the information you provide on the form and on various other assessments, including your doctor statement. Generally your doctor will be asked if he or she consider you safe to drive. If you do not want your doctor to do the assessment, or if their assessment is unclear, you may be independently assessed by a General Practitioner on behalf of the DVLA.

The factors the DVLA will assess to determine your fitness to drive include:
Whether or not you have permanent damage to vision
If you have any problems with memory, judgment and concentration
Whether you have fast or slow reactions in an emergency
Whether or not you have any spasms in a paralyzed limb which cannot be controlled
Whether or not you may have seizures or convulsions

Keeping your license
So, they will assess these factors and decide whether or not, and when you will be able to begin driving again.

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