For many individuals, driving comes with a way of freedom and independence. In the event you reside with a incapacity, you’ll be able to nonetheless reap the advantages of driving. That will help you perceive the foundations and laws round disabled driving, right here’s all the things you have to learn about driving with a incapacity.
What’s a Blue Badge?
A Blue Badge permits disabled drivers sure parking concessions and advantages, together with the power within the UK to park nearer to their vacation spot. There are specific guidelines for Blue Badge holders that make sure the scheme is used appropriately. Any Blue Badge misuse may end up in a hefty fantastic, as much as £1,000.
You possibly can be taught extra in our information to Blue Badge parking guidelines.
Can a disabled individual drive a automotive?
Having a incapacity doesn’t imply that you may’t be taught to drive. There are numerous modifications that may be made to a automobile that may allow drivers with sure disabilities to drive a automotive, corresponding to hand controls for braking and accelerating, particular seating, clutch conversions and extra.
The modifications you want will rely in your particular person circumstances, however you will want to tell the DVLA of your situation earlier than you begin studying.
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How you can get a driving licence for a disabled individual
In the event you’re a brand new driver with a incapacity you will want to tell the DVLA if you apply in your provisional licence. You will need to declare all disabilities when doing so, in any other case you could possibly be hit with a ban or face a £1,000 fantastic.
As soon as the DVLA are conscious, they are going to then determine whether or not you meet the medical requirements to drive safely, and can give you tailor-made info on any modifications you have to make to your automobile.
If you’re nonetheless not sure, you’ll be able to seek for your nearest ‘driving mobility’ evaluation centre, the place you’ll be able to undergo the applying levels with skilled professionals who will inform you on whether or not you go the medical requirements for driving.
After you have a provisional licence, it’s possible you’ll want to discover an teacher in your space who has a learner automotive modified for disabled drivers. However beware these variations are often fundamental, and will not meet your wants.
Regardless of the severity of your incapacity, the sensible driving take a look at will stay the identical. You will want to tell the take a look at centre beforehand in case you imagine you’ll want any particular provisions, corresponding to further time for the examiner to ask if there are any modifications wanted in your take a look at automobile.
In the event you’re already a certified driver, however have developed a incapacity or medical situation, you have to inform the DVLA earlier than you step foot into one other automotive. That is to allow them to additionally give you the knowledge you have to make sure you’re not breaking the legislation and are holding your self and others secure on the highway.
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Does being disabled have an effect on automobile tax?
Disabled drivers could also be exempt from paying highway tax relying on whether or not they meet sure standards. To be eligible for disabled automotive tax exemption, the automobile have to be registered within the disabled individual’s title or the title of their nominated driver. The automobile should additionally solely be utilized by the disabled driver, or the nominated driver for the disabled individual’s private wants solely – it should not be utilized by the nominated driver for private use.
You possibly can apply for disabled automotive tax in case you already obtain the upper fee mobility element of DLA, the improved fee mobility element of PIP, the Conflict Pensioners’ Mobility Complement or the Armed Forces Independence Cost. In the event you aren’t eligible for automobile tax exemption, however you obtain the usual fee mobility element for PIP, you may get a 50% discount in automobile tax.
For extra info, together with declare for the primary time and renew, learn our article on highway tax exemptions for disabled drivers.
Does being disabled have an effect on automotive insurance coverage?
The Incapacity Discrimination Act 2005 ensures that automotive insurance coverage suppliers and insurers can’t legally penalise you for being disabled. You can’t be refused insurance coverage due to your incapacity.
There are insurance coverage suppliers, corresponding to ourselves, that specialize in disabled automotive insurance coverage and provide advantages together with like-for-like cowl on accessibility modifications made to your automobile. Specialised insurance coverage insurance policies may also present cowl for carers to drive your automotive, which is why it’s useful to look into tailor-made automotive insurance coverage for Blue Badge holders.
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What medical circumstances can cease you driving?
There are numerous medical circumstances that may cease you driving, both long-term or briefly, relying on severity and signs. One of the simplest ways to examine whether or not a well being or medical situation can have an effect on your driving is by way of the official authorities portal.
In the event you’re making use of for a provisional licence, you have to declare your whole disabilities and medical circumstances to the DVLA. In the event you’re a certified driver who has developed a ‘notifiable’ medical situation or incapacity, or if in case you have a situation or incapacity that’s worsened because you first obtained your licence, you have to inform the DVLA.
Notifiable circumstances confer with something that would have an effect on your means to drive safely, together with however not restricted to:
- Visible circumstances
- Sleep apnea
- Epilepsy
- Strokes
- Neurological circumstances
- Bodily disabilities
- Surgical procedure
If you don’t inform the DVLA a couple of medical situation or incapacity, you will be fined as much as £1,000. You would even be prosecuted in case you’re concerned in an accident and haven’t declared your medical situation.
It’s essential to additionally quit your licence in case your physician tells you to cease driving for 3 or extra months, or you don’t meet the required requirements for driving due to your medical situation.
In addition to declaring your incapacity to the DVLA, you’ll additionally should contact your automotive insurance coverage supplier and declare any notifiable medical circumstances in your automotive insurance coverage.
Be taught extra in our information to what medical circumstances should be declared for automotive insurance coverage.
How you can get a incapacity automotive
Many individuals who obtain advantages for a mobility-based incapacity are in a position to lease a automotive from the motability scheme. The motability scheme not solely leases automobiles for disabled drivers, but in addition mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs.
You possibly can lease a disabled automotive from the motability scheme in case you’ve been awarded:
- Incapacity Residing Allowance (increased fee mobility element)
- Private Independence Cost (enhanced fee mobility element)
- Armed Forces Independence Cost
To use you have to have at the very least 12 months of profit funds remaining.
In the event you require modifications that will help you drive, these will should be fitted earlier than the automotive is delivered. That is to make sure it’s secure and authorized to drive beneath the medical circumstances set by the DVLA when your licence was issued.
To search out out extra, learn our article on the motability scheme and motability insurance coverage guidelines and restrictions.
Are you able to be taught to drive with studying difficulties?
When you have studying difficulties, you’ll be able to nonetheless learn to drive so long as you haven’t any additional circumstances that would cease you doing so. Relying in your skills and wishes, you’ll be able to take the sensible take a look at driving both a handbook or an computerized automotive. Nonetheless, in case you go your take a look at driving an computerized automotive, you can be restricted to solely driving computerized automobiles.
When you have your personal automobile and you’ve got variations fitted to it, these variations will decide whether or not the automobile is classed as a handbook or computerized automotive. For instance, automobiles fitted with centrifugal clutches or free-wheel gadgets are nonetheless classed as handbook automobiles and don’t fall inside the definition of automobiles with computerized transmission.
When you have studying difficulties, the driving take a look at examiner will make changes for the unbiased driving a part of the take a look at. They may additionally ask in case you’d want to comply with visitors indicators as a substitute of instructions from a sat nav.
Whenever you guide the sensible driving take a look at, you have to declare the small print of your bodily incapacity or studying incapacity. This info is then handed to the examiner, who will determine whether or not to permit you further time for the sensible driving take a look at.
When are you able to drive with a incapacity?
With the intention to be taught to drive, you have to maintain a provisional licence. Normally you have to be at the very least 17 years previous to carry a driving licence, however in case you obtain the upper fee mobility element of DLA or the improved fee mobility element of PIP, it’s possible you’ll maintain a licence if you’re 16 years previous. You possibly can apply in your licence three months earlier than your birthday.
Disabled driver insurance coverage you’ll be able to belief
With greater than 50 years’ expertise in offering specialist automotive insurance coverage and providing greater than 200 insurance coverage schemes protecting disabled drivers, we’ll aid you discover the correct disabled driver insurance coverage coverage to fit your wants.
