Six health conditions motorists must declare to the DVLA

Drivers with health conditions that might affect their ability to drive generally have to inform the DVLA of their illness.

However, it’s not always obvious if your condition is something you should be informing the DVLA of. And if you don’t tell them and get caught, there’s a risk of a £1,000 fine.

Because of this, car hire comparison site StressFreeCarRental has put together a list of such conditions that might be less obvious…

Diabetes

The DVLA must be informed of your diabetes if it is treated by insulin and the insulin treatments are required for more than three months. Gestational diabetes is also included within this, or if you suffer from hypoglycaemia, which is low blood sugar.

Vertigo

While vertigo is usually associated with feeling uncomfortable at height, that’s more specifically referred to as ‘height vertigo’. However, people who suffer from regular vertigo can feel like the world is spinning around them, and it can happen at any time. If you get sudden or recurring vertigo, you should inform the DVLA.

Déjà vu

Although many people write this off as an odd sensation that shouldn’t be worried about, it can trigger seizures and epilepsy in some people. If this is the case for you, you should tell the DVLA about it.

Sleep apnoea

If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea, it can make your throat relax and narrow during sleep and make it hard to breathe. This is just one of a number of sleep disorders that the DVLA wants to know about, including narcolepsy and cataplexy.

Labyrinthitis

No this isn’t an addiction to completing mazes, it’s an inner ear condition that can cause nausea and dizziness, as well as a loss of hearing. Each of these symptoms will affect your ability to drive, so unsurprisingly it’s another condition that must be declared.

Heart palpitations

When you suffer from heart palpitations, it means you’ve become more aware of your heartbeat, which sometimes feels it’s pounding, fluttering, or even beating irregularly. Fortunately, NHS advice says they are usually nothing to worry about, but you must inform the DVLA nonetheless.