The medical conditions that could void your car insurance and cost you £1,000s

DRIVERS have been warned that they must declare certain medical conditions to the DVLA or face voiding their insurance.

The penalties for not declaring a medical condition can include £1,000s in fines and the risk of prosecution if the driver is involved in an accident.

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Greg Wilson, founder of car insurance comparison site Quotezone.co.uk said: “ A serious medical diagnosis on top of the fear of losing transportation and independence can be devastating.

However, many conditions and medications won’t impair driving, which the DVLA and insurance providers recognise – but they do need to be keep up to date with any changes.

“If drivers have been diagnosed with any of these conditions they need to inform both the DVLA and their insurance provider, since having inaccurate details on the insurance policy can void the insurance and leave drivers unprotected.”

Diabetes

Diabetes can lead to further complications including hypoglycaemia, which can result in drowsiness and blurred vision.

It may not lead to a driving licence being revoked, but the DVLA do need to be informed.

Sleep apnoea

Extreme fatigue can lead to drivers losing concentration on the roads.

Conditions including sleep apnoea, where breathing stops and starts during sleep, as well as other illnesses affecting fatigue and in turn driving ability, must be reported to the DVLA.

Heart conditions

Any heart conditions must be reported to the DVLA.

For example, arrhythmia must be reported as it can affect the ability to safely stop a car, and can be distracting.

Eye conditions

Most eye conditions, such as Glaucoma, must be reported to the DVLA, and it is up to their discretion what procedure to carry out regarding your licence.

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Stroke

After having a stroke it is possible that you may be able to drive again in the future, but initially, you must stop driving for one month.

If you have returned back to normal health after a month, you can start driving again, however, the DVLA needs to be informed if health problems still persist for longer than a month after the stroke.

Seizures and epilepsy

If you have had a seizure whilst awake and lost consciousness, your licence will be taken away.

You can reapply if you go six months without a seizure and medical advisors have given their input.

If a seizure happened in other instances, such as while you were asleep, you may be able to retain your licence depending on DVLA and government guidelines.

Vertigo

Recurrent or sudden dizziness must be reported to the DVLA.

Syncope

Syncope is a condition that causes a temporary loss of consciousness.

Fainting conditions including syncope, which causes blackouts, must be reported to the DVLA.

Certain operations

Operations on certain body parts, including your legs, can exempt you from driving, yet this can be up to the discretion of the doctor, who should inform you on driving procedures after leaving the hospital.

Driving on medications

If you are on strong medications, it is likely that you will be recommended to avoid driving.

Opioid painkillers, tranquillisers, and certain antidepressants are examples of medicines that can affect driving ability.