Driving

Driving is a skill that many people rely on for independence, socialising and daily tasks. Unfortunately, the various skills needed for driving can often be affected by brain injury.

Fortunately, many brain injury survivors can eventually return to driving. However, there are legal requirements when driving with a medical condition such as brain injury, and these must always be followed to keep the driver and others safe. There are also sensible precautions that should be taken, even if you feel that your driving skills are intact after brain injury.

Can I drive after brain injury?

A common driving related question asked by brain injury survivors and their loved ones is whether or not the survivor can drive after their injury.

There is no single answer for this. Brain injury affects people differently, so whether someone can continue to drive will depend on their personal circumstances, such as:

• The effects of brain injury they personally experience.

• The outcomes of assessments they undergo.

• The type of vehicle they drive. The required standards of health and driving ability are higher for Group 2 licence holders (large lorries and buses) than Group 1 licence holders (cars and motorcycles).

Ultimately, only relevant licensing authorities can decide whether someone can continue driving after brain injury. It is therefore a legal requirement to inform your licensing authority if you drive and have had a brain injury, so that they can assess your fitness to drive.

It can be reassuring to know that many people can return to driving eventually, even after a moderate or severe brain injury. For those who are not able to return to driving, different transport systems may need to be considered.

How can a brain injury affect driving?

Driving is a complicated activity, requiring various skills as well as the ability to co-ordinate them. Unfortunately, these skills can often be affected by brain injury. There may be physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioural effects of the injury that interfere with the ability to drive safely, comfortably or confidently.

Physical effects

Physical effects of brain injury affect the physical functioning of the body. Common physical effects of brain injury that can affect driving include:

• Problems with movement, such as being unable to use feet to operate pedals, manoeuvre the body to sit inside a car, or turn the head to fully see potential hazards from both sides.

• Problems with dizziness or balance, such as vertigo.

• Fatigue, which often comes on seemingly out of the blue so may be difficult to plan for.

• Problems with hearing.

• Sleep problems, which may affect concentration and cause day-time drowsiness.

• Headaches or pain elsewhere in the body, which may be distracting.

These physical effects may be overcome by making adaptations to the vehicle, or by taking sensible precautions when driving, such as taking a break from driving when needed, or taking medication.

The following physical effects need to be taken into particular account, as they can have a serious impact on fitness to drive.

• Seizures - there is a higher than average risk of epilepsy after certain types of brain injury. Seizures are dealt with on an individual basis by licensing authorities. The decision of whether someone can drive or not will depend on the type of seizure experienced.

• Visual problems - there are many possible types of visual problems after brain injury. These may affect the ability to judge speed, distance and depth, as well as observation skills such as spotting hazards on the road. Some people may experience double vision. It is important to take the advice of your doctor if these effects are experienced.

Cognitive effects

Cognitive effects of brain injury affect thinking and learning skills. Common cognitive effects of brain injury that can affect driving include:

• Problems with concentration.

• Problems with switching or dividing attention.

• Memory problems.

• Slower reaction times due to taking longer with processing information.

• Problems with thinking ahead or interpreting situations, affecting the ability to notice hazards in advance.

• Problems with making decisions, for example decisions on how to react to situations on the road.

Impaired insight might affect a brain injury survivor’s ability to recognise the impact of brain injury on their driving skills. A survivor with impaired insight may insist they are safe to continue driving, while family and friends think otherwise.

Emotional and behavioural effects

Emotional effects of brain injury affect how survivors feel, which can in turn affect behaviour. Alternatively, behaviour may also be affected following injury to parts of the brain that are directly responsible for monitoring behaviour. Common emotional and behavioural effects of brain injury that may affect driving include:

• Anxiety, affecting a survivor’s confidence with driving.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder, for instance if the brain injury was caused by a road traffic collision.

• Impulsivity.

• Disinhibition.

• Problems with controlling anger, especially in situations such as traffic delays, or with other inconsiderate drivers.

Legal requirements and informing licensing authorities

If you drive and have had a brain injury, you may choose to voluntarily give up your licence (for example if your GP has advised this). You might be able to get your licence back later, and you can reapply for a new one in the future.

If you do not voluntarily give up your licence, you must still inform your licensing authority about your brain injury. This is a legal requirement. Failure to inform authorities could result in a fine of up to £1,000, or prosecution if you have an accident. It would also mean that your licence is not valid and that you would be uninsured in the event of an accident. Most importantly, it could mean that you are putting both yourself and others at serious risk.

You will need to make contact with your licensing authority to notify them of your injury.

You may be asked to complete a form or questionnaire, or to provide a letter containing details of your brain injury. For survivors in England, Wales or Scotland, this will be the DVLA form B1.

You could ask someone close to you to help with completing the forms. You might also be asked to provide any relevant hospital notes. Your licensing agency may need to contact your hospital consultant, occupational therapist or other professionals for further information.

How long does it take to hear back from my licensing authority?

It can take several weeks or months to hear back from a licensing authority. Your licensing authority will aim to make a decision as quickly as possible, but they will also be relying on information from doctors or other health professionals, which can make the process take longer.

Please be patient while they are making a decision, as they will not be able to provide updates.

Can I drive while waiting to hear back from my licensing authority?

Your GP or other healthcare professional will be able to advise on whether you can drive while waiting to hear from your licensing authority.

Doctors and healthcare professionals who need guidance on safety to drive may find the following resources helpful:

• UK government guidance Assessing fitness to drive - a guide for medical professionals.

• UK government guidance Neurological disorders: assessing fitness to drive.

• Drivers in England, Scotland or Wales may find the DVLA leaflet Can I drive while my application is with DVLA? helpful for further information.

What decision might my licensing authority make about my fitness to drive?

When you hear back from your licensing authority, there are a number of possible decisions they might have arrived at.

You may be allowed to keep your licence

You may be allowed to keep your licence or get a new one.

Your licence may be withdrawn

Your licence may be withdrawn, or your application turned down. If so, the reason for this decision will be explained to you, and you will be told when you can reapply. This will likely be very disappointing and concerning news, but there are ways to cope in the meantime.

You may be given a time-limited licence

You may be given a time-limited licence, which is valid for a specified number of years. After this, your fitness to continue driving will be reassessed.

You may be asked to take a test

You may be asked to take a test, such as a driving assessment or an eye test before a final decision can be made about your fitness to drive.

You may be told to make changes to your vehicle

You may be told to make changes to your vehicle to make it safer for you to drive, such as fitting special controls. Your local disabled driving centre can help by conducting an assessment of your adaptation needs and making recommendations.

Informing a licensing authority on a survivor’s behalf

If a survivor cannot inform their licensing authority about their injury, or will not do so themselves, and you have concerns about their ability to drive safely, you can inform a licensing authority on their behalf. You can do this by contacting their licensing authority.

Remember that while you may feel guilty about informing a licensing authority, especially against the survivor’s wishes, this may be necessary to prevent the survivor from being at risk of harming themselves or others if they continue to drive unsafely.

What should I do if I can keep my licence?

You will probably feel pleased and relieved to be told that you are fit to drive and can keep your licence. However, you must inform your licensing authority if your condition gets worse, if you develop any other condition, or if anything else happens that affects your ability to drive.

Keep the following tips in mind for safer, less stressful driving:

• Never drink and drive. Alcohol will probably affect you more than it did before your injury. Because of this, it is generally advised that people stop drinking alcohol after brain injury.

• Keep the first few journeys after your injury short, if possible, and consider having another adult in the car with you.

• Discuss any possible medication side effects that may affect your driving with your GP, especially if you have recently started new medication or your medication dosage has been changed.

• Plan your journey before you set off, including identifying places to stop for breaks on long journeys.

• Use a satellite navigation device and set your route before you start driving.

• Fatigue might cause you to feel more tired than usual and at unexpected times. Do not drive when you are fatigued. Plan any driving journeys for when you are least likely to feel fatigued (you might be able to plan for this by recognising patterns or ‘triggers’ to your fatigue). Be prepared to change your plans if you do not feel well or alert enough to drive that day. Try to avoid long journeys and take breaks if you need them.

• Inform your car insurance company about your brain injury. You should also inform them of any adaptations made to your vehicle and make sure that you have adequate breakdown cover.

• Consider checking your eligibility for a Blue Badge, which can help you to park close to your destination.

What should I do if I can’t keep my licence?

If your licensing authority decides that it would not be safe for you to drive, they will withdraw your licence. This can feel very upsetting, concerning or frustrating, but remember that this decision has been made to keep yourself and others safe.

You do have the right to appeal against this decision. Your licensing authority will tell you how to do this.

Remember that being refused a licence does not necessarily mean that it will be refused forever. With time, re-learning of skills and vehicle adaptations, it may be possible to regain a licence.

If my licence is withdrawn, how do I get it back?

If your licence is withdrawn for medical reasons, you can reapply when your doctor says that you meet the medical standards for driving, for example if the effects of your brain injury improve over time.

You might be required to take a driving assessment to show that you meet the medical standards. Further guidance is available on the UK government website under Reapply for a driving licence following a medical condition.

Coping without a driving licence

We understand how difficult it can be to have your driving licence withdrawn. Do try to remember that this decision has been made to keep yourself and others safe.

There will probably be practical and emotional consequences to cope with. For instance, you might need to rely on others for transport, and this may cause you to feel a loss in your sense of independence.

You might also be at risk of becoming socially isolated if you can no longer conveniently travel to social gatherings.

Vehicles can be an important part of some people’s lifestyles, either as a hobby or for work. Identity or sense of self-esteem may therefore be affected.

There may also be financial consequences if you relied on your vehicle for work, for example if you were a truck, taxi or bus driver before your injury.

Feelings such as sadness, depression, anxiety or frustration can develop as a result of these changes.

What should I do if I need a driving assessment?

If there is any doubt at all about your ability to drive safely, it is important to have an expert driving assessment, even if you feel that your driving skills were excellent before your injury.

There are disabled driving centres across the UK that specialise in offering driving-related assessments to people with disabilities. They can assess how your injury affects your fitness to drive, suggest car adaptations and advise on accessible travelling.

To locate your nearest disabled driving centre, visit Driving Mobility.

There will be a fee for undergoing a driving assessment. This will vary from centre to centre. Contact your nearest centre to find out more and to discuss funding, as there may be financial help available to cover this cost.

A driving assessment is designed to enable safe driving. It also helps reduce the anxiety that you or your family may have about your ability to drive safely. Advice might be given to help you rebuild your confidence on the road. In other cases, over-confidence may be an issue, and you may need help to be more realistic and develop a safer driving style.

Once you have undergone your assessment, the centre will make recommendations to your licensing authority on your fitness to drive. It is important to note that the centre itself cannot withdraw your licence. Only licensing authorities such as the DVLA and DVA can do this.

What should I do if I haven’t learned to drive yet?

If you have not yet learned to drive, you should check with your doctor if you are recovered enough from your brain injury to start taking driving lessons. You can apply for a provisional driving licence by contacting your licensing authority, usually by completing an online form. You can also get a provisional driving licence form from your local Post Office, which you can fill in and post to the licensing authority. You will need to inform the licensing authority that you have had a brain injury through their application process.

You may find it helpful to have someone who understands your brain injury complete the form with you. This can help to make sure you do not miss out any key information about your injury that may affect your application.

What happens next?

Once you have submitted your application, the licensing authority may decide to issue a provisional licence, ask for further information, contact your doctor and/or consultant, or ask you to attend a medical examination.

The process of medical checking and handling takes time, so if you want to start driving as soon as you are legally able, consider applying for your provisional licence two or three months before your qualifying birthday.

Once you start learning to drive, it is important to inform your driving instructor that you have had a brain injury, so that they can address your needs and provide support if it is needed.

When you take a driving test, this will be the same test as every other candidate, regardless of your brain injury. However, you should notify the licensing agency about any physical requirements you have. You may have time to talk to your examiner about these before your test. You may be given extra time in the test if you need longer to get in and out of the car.

If you or your family feel that a brain injury may have affected your ability to learn to drive, it may be useful to have a driving ability assessment first. This may seem expensive, but it can save you money in the long run by telling you whether your injury is likely to affect your ability to learn to drive before you pay for lessons. It could also provide helpful information to your driving instructor.

What is the Motability Scheme?

If you are receiving mobility allowance through benefits such as Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance, you may be entitled to the Motability Scheme. This is a scheme across the UK that allows you to use your allowance to lease a vehicle. It also covers insurance, servicing and MOT, breakdown cover and support with electric vehicles.

Even if you do not drive yourself, you can nominate someone to drive the car for you, as long as they are driving it for your benefit, for example your spouse driving the car to do food shopping for you.

It is very important to be aware of what you can and cannot use your Motability car for, as misuse is treated very seriously.

You can use Motability's eligibility checker to see whether you or someone else is eligible to join the Motability Scheme.

The organisations listed on this page are provided for information purposes only. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement, recommendation, or approval by Headway. Users should make their own assessment of any organisation or service before engaging with them.

The information on this page was produced with expert support from Dr Anuraj Varshney, Consultant Practitioner and Head of Service at South East Driveability, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, and Strategic Director - Research, Education & Innovation at Driving Mobility, and Dr Carol Hawley, Principal Research Fellow in the Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Warwick Medical School.

This information was last reviewed in 2025.