Medically unfit allowed to continue driving by DVLA

UNFIT drivers are exploiting a loophole, caused by DVLA delays, to stay on the road, according to the British Medical Association.

Motorists deemed unfit to drive because of medical conditions are being allowed to continue at the wheel for up to a year without checks, while the DVLA battles with a backlog of 300,000 licence renewals, the BMA says.

Dr Peter Holden, chairman of the association’s professional fees committee, said: “Doctors know that medical reports cannot now be processed in a timely way and the problem is getting worse.

“The result is longer waits for licences to arrive and inevitably an increase in the number of drivers on the road who should not be, as they have not had further medical adjudication by a DVLA medical branch,” he told The Sunday Times.

He said section 88 of the Road Traffic Act, which allows drivers to continue using their licence while it is under review with the DVLA is “being used in a manner that was never intended”.

He added: “It is designed to deal with the occasional ‘administrative hiccough’ to keep a driver, who already has a licence and who has no deterioration in health, legally on the road.

“It was not designed to cover drivers who have not been signed as medically fit to be on the road safely and legally.”

The DVLA disputed the figure of more than 300,000 but declined to clarify the total. A spokesman said: “Road safety is our top priority. We aim to make a licensing decision as quickly as possible and in most cases drivers may be able to continue to drive for up to 12 months provided they meet the section 88 criteria, while we are processing their application.

“We have plans in place to reduce the current backlog of medical applications, including extra staff and office space.”