Driving Advice

[Mr Stefan]

Do you have to notify your vehicle insurance and the DVLA that you are receiving treatment for OSA?

[gvader]

Hi,

Yes, OSA is a reportable condition and there is a hefty fine payable for failing to inform the DVLA.

With regard to your insurance company it is best to tell them but many of them will simply say "thanks, not interested".

[GrumpyBiker]

As Gvader says, you do have to report OSA to the DVLA and your insurance co. Having done my research, I telephoned the DVLA three weeks after I was diagnosed ie, the consultant confirmed the diagnosis - and I was lucky enough to get instant access to treatment - an APAP machine at that. The relevant DVLA number is on their website.
I was offered the chance to have the forms emailed to me, to be completed, scanned and returned by email. The form gives you 28 days to complete it and return. I used two of those weeks, to be sure that I could honestly say that I was on treatment, compliant (> 4hrs a day) and no longer suffered from daytime sleepiness.
Having sent the form back, two weeks later I got a letter in the post from the DVLA saying that based on my answers to the questions (no contact to my doctors) that I could keep my licence but that I had to notify them if the daytime sleepiness returned.

The rules allow reasonable time to notify, and to respond. Use that time and you can avoid the massive disruption and financial cost of losing your licence if you can get on treatment in a reasonable time-frame.


Andy

[Mr Stefan]

Dvla

I have written an e-mail to the DVLA requesting the relevant fprms, to inform them of my condition. Thanks to all who replied I could have found myself getting into trouble without your help, I wonder how many other sufferers have yet to make a declaration to the authority.
Mr Stefan

[Tigers Fan]

Not too fast .....

Rememeber you don't have anything to tell them till you have a confirmed, in writing, in a letter, on paper, from a consultant diagnosis of OSA.

At the time of notifying the DVLA that you have OSA you also need to be able to tell them (but only because it is true) that you are on CPAP therapy and are not sleepy during the day.

If you can't tell them that - bye, bye licence for a while.

Tigers Fan

[Mr Stefan]

Driving

I have nothing in writing other than my consultant verbally confirming my condition and precribing a CPAP machine which was issued three days after the confirmation.
I have had no sleepy days since using the machine even when I had limited use min 5 hours use but now I get 7/8 even 9 hours sleep which is in the main undisturbed as I very rarly visit the toilet during the night, this had been every two hours.
I applied via e-mail, over the week-end to the DVLA for the forms as yet not received, I will re request if I have not had a reply by Friday.
Do appreciate all the advise, I would have carried on in ignorance, which I know would be hard to prove in court.
Mr Stefan

[GrumpyBiker]

Well, with successful and compliant treatment you should find that the DVLA will (eventually) write back to you saying you can keep your licence.
You should also inform your insurance company. My car insurer (direct line) thanked me but said they were not interested if the DVLA had not imposed conditions on my licence and my motorcycle insurer (Carole Nash) thanked me, advised me they had made a note on my record and that there would be no impact on my premiums.

Andy

[Mr Stefan]

Forms

All the forms have been completed and are now with the DVLA awaiting the outcome which I hope will be positive as I use my car to travel back and forth to work as public transport is not an option, they sent out paper forms with an SAE to return.
I am on tentahooks now and will be until they contact me, it's only at times like this do you realise how important the car is for normal day to day use.
I cannot contemplate them revoking my licence, it would completly change my life but I have answered the questions with honesty and can only sit and wait.
Thanks again for the information
Stefan

[Brummie Jon]

how is it going?

Hi Stefan

Just interested to know if you have heard anything?

*BJ*

[Mr Stefan]

No News

No not yet I am hoping that 'no news is good news' as the saying goes, but at the back of my mind is the thought , how would I appeal such a finding, who would I need to contact, what would I say etc etc
I have submitted myself to the procedure and I am following all the advice given and am getting at least 6-8 hours of use with the CPAP device, so I can do no more.
I hope everyone else who should have contacted the DVLA has do so as I think it could cause problems if as a result of an accident it was reveled OSA was a contributing factor.
Thanks for the interest as soon as I am made aware of the findings I will post the outcome.
Mr Stefan

[Mr Stefan]

Still Driving

Just received a letter from DVLA this morning (02/04/09) and they are satisfied that I meet the medical standards to keep my licence........ phew what a relief.
Mr Stefan

[James @ Intus]

Congrats! Always good to hear, well done.

[Doozey]

Dvla

As a result of me being diagnosed with OSA I have actually had my licence taken off me and been issued with a concessionary bus pass for the whole of England

[jossmax]

Just got my letter from DVLA confirming I can keep my license

I waited until 2 weeks into my trial before notifying them. By the time the forms came out I had done 3 weeks of full use of APAP. My data card was read and the outputs printed for my consultant. He was well pleased with the results as was my GP. So when the forms arrived, I stated that I was fully compliant with their rules and that my GP and consultant could be contacted if they wished.
2 weeks after sending the forms in I got the OK from DVLA.

Its a matter of timing and being honest.

[Brummie Jon]

6 week gap between diagnosis and treatment

Hi

I had to wait 6 weeks in between getting my letter advising me not to drive and inform the DVLA and getting treatment.... at what point during those 6 weeks is it reasonable to act on that instruction? If I had got my timing right, as jossmax states, I would have waited 8 weeks to inform the DVLA in order to retain my licence...... exactly who's timing are we talking about here, mine, the DVLA's or the NHS ?

*BJ*