Just interested to know how many of us are still happy driving? Be interesting to know ages (if you are happy to divulge) and how long your medical license is. I’ll start the ball rolling.
I’m 49, diagnosed around 3 years ago, not on any meds, my medical license renews every 3 years. I don’t have any issues with driving, I enjoy it, I drive hundreds of miles on holidays and intend to be doing so for many years.
I was diagnosed nearly 3 years ago. My medical review licence runs out in December. I only drive locally but then I’ve always hated driving even though I think my driving’s ok. I will hope to be able to renew it as I live in the middle of nowhere so need to drive to go anywhere.
Hi JonJoe, I voluntarily gave up my licence, I too had a three year one, pretty much the same time as I left work. Whilst it is true I never especially enjoyed driving it did make life easier and that was a consideration I had to take on board. However, although it never actually happened there were instances when it felt like I couldn’t lift my foot or release my grip on the steering wheel, so I was only doing short distance, essential journeys by the end. I miss the convenience it gave me and it was certainly easier to get around independently, but it’s not impossible now just have to be a bit more organised. Bottom line was I would never have forgiven myself had I caused an accident since I was never 100% sure my foot or hand would hold up and given this the actual decision to give up was easy. I’ve been car -less now for about 8 years so am well used to it now.
I’m fast approaching 60 and was diagnosed 4yrs ago. My medical driving license runs out in November this year and, touch wood, I hope they extend it. I only use the car once or twice a week and would be lost without it.
I consider myself to be a better driver these days as I have adapted to my condition. I love driving and it’s no hardship for me.
Now … getting in and out of the car … that’s another issue altogether!!! 
my husband is the one with (possibly) PD and has given up driving although he still thinks that he could drive but he is over 70 and his licence ran out while the DVLA was still considering whether to allow him to drive. They had already taken several months over the process and he just decided it wasn’t worth the hassle as I have always done most of the driving anyway
Hi there,I’m 69yrs young and been diagnosed 12yrs and still driving after 52yrs still enjoy except when renewal time comes around every 3 years,I’m sure I’ll have to do an assessment soon
Hi JonJoe
I was diagnosed in 2004 at the age of 40. I’m on medication and have a three year medical license.
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Not officially diagnosed yet ,when I am,do you immediately inform Dvla and insurance .
Is 3 year license standard, I am 66.
You need to inform DVLA, they’ll write to your GP. When I rang the insurance, they didn’t want to know but said they would put a note on my account to make me feel better.
When I got new insurance the next year, I said I had a 3 year medical license and the premium came down around 15%. I think this is because they know you are being closely monitored.
Thanks for that.
When I said I was not officially diagnosed ,is because I’ve been waiting 8 months for a consultation.
Driving seems ok at moment and don’t like the idea of no driving.
Hi
diagnosed 18 months ago. straight on medication, given a 3 yr licence.Did not affect car insurance.
travel insurance went up though
I was diagnosed 5 years ago, carried on driving quite happily until last year, when my consultant unbeknown to me replied to DVLA to say that I was unfit to drive. I was in the middle of changing consultants, as I had no confidence in him. My new one said I was perfectly fine to drive, so I wrote to DVLA asking for a review. After several letters backwards and forwards and written evidence from the new consultant, they asked me to reapply, which I did. After weeks of waiting, I rang up and they could find no trace of my application and letter from doctor. By this time I had not been driving for 9 months and I had lost my confidence, so I have given up. I’m 63. Thankfully my husband drives and my 2 daughters!
I was diagnosed at the age of 60, immediately informed DVLA and received a 3 year licence. I was doing 30000 miles a year mostly for my work as a consultant on accountancy software. I bought an automatic car. After 3 years the licence was renewed without any problems On the next renewal I filled in the form incorrectly .
The questions I felt were slightly ambiguous, and they refused to give me a lieence. After badgering them for around 6 months and getting the medical fraternity to tell them I was fit to drive they agreed to an assessment drive. I thought that was fair to both sides as it would prove the case one way or the other. This I took at my local driving test centre with the Chief examiner and I got 9 A’s and2 B’s from the 11 assessments. I think that was due to my previous experience of being an IAM qualified driver even though I was not a current member
I still only got a one year restricted licence. However this was renewed for the full 3 years which took me beyond my 70th birthday.
This licence is still current but I have chosen not to drive as I don’t feel my feet are fully in control
I would say be persistent with DVLA until you get an assessment drive, make use of your experience and make sure you know when to give up
I was diagnosed in 2015 at the age of 50. As a professional driver with IAM, ROSPA, Policedriving qualifications for car, bus and HGV it was a hard to be honest in my assessment to continue driving - especially given I typically covered about 40,000 miles per annum and was active in classic car racing across Europe.
The latest DVLA advice as of March 2020 for Parkinson’s reads as follows "You may drive as long as safe vehicle control is maintained at all times. In the medical report there is a need for the report writer to state that if the individual’s condition is disabling and/or there is clinically significant variability in motor function. Where there is variability in function then the licence will be refused or revoked. In my own case my motor function is dependent on the influence of medication, tiredness, etc so I could not take the risk and told them yes it is variable and thus I was given a life time ban.
Just to rub salt in the wound the day the DVLA ban letter arrived I had just had delivery of new leased car I had ordered 24 months previously, so I had my dream car outside my house unable to be moved for two months until leasing company took vehicle back (Porsche finance were brillant in sorting it all out without any loss of money).
On a positive my PIP assessment for mobility was assisted by the DVLA refusing my licence as I had a progressive neurological condition with variable motor function.
As an older driver, with over 57 years experience of driving many types of cars,large and small, manual and automatic, right and left hand drive , covering around 45,000 miles per annum, also riding motorcycles, and driving trucks & vans , I consider myself to be quite a good driver, but having said that , I still firmly believe that I (& others like me )should be compulsorily medically tested and have a short driving assessment each year following retirement , irrespective of age?
Ages ie. 60, ,65, 70 etc., by themselves are just numbers , whereas a change in lifestyle, such as retirement, with perhaps a major reduction in driving mileage and road use etc etc , perhaps changing from an active life to a sedentary one , could have a considerable effect on our health & wellbeing, and potentially therefore our ability to ‘safely’ carry on driving?
I do think however that any testing should be to determine skill levels and to find a way to address them, should they fall short of the required standard, and not ‘ simply to use it as an excuse to take away licences - being older, invariably means being wiser and more experienced?
I know that we all think that we are the World’s Best Driver, but frankly we are not all Lewis Hamilton, and we see evidence of bad driving every day, probably by driver’s who really do think that they are the best?l
A fascinating thing about this damned disease, is how differently it affects each of us, as an example, in my case, as soon as I sit in the driving seat of the car, all and I do mean ALL of my Parkinson’s symptoms disappear ( this is well tested and documented btw ) so, the theory is that Parkisons doesn’t affect my driving, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have age related deterioration in driving skills, which I may not notice , hence my belief in being tested regularly .
I recently had my 3 year license renewed after my 70 birthday. It took a long time to come through due to delays at DVLA. Strange position from DVLA while waiting - you could continue to drive as long as you felt able while they were awaiting a response from your consultant which given the present situation could take a long time. Thankfully I knew that my consultant had responded positively, however long it took to process.
Aged 49 diagnosed 2020 now on 4 prescriptions a month (7 tabs a day) on a 3 year license but stopped riding motorcycle earlier this year as wasn’t feeling safe.
