Neurology - Driving after a Stroke or TIA

Important safety and legal advice (NHS guidance)

Stop Driving Immediately

If you’ve had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA or “mini stroke”), you must stop driving immediately. If you don’t tell the DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving, you could:

• Be fined up to £1,000
• Be prosecuted if you’re in an accident

Crescendo TIA

Stop driving for at least 3 months after a crescendo TIA. You can only start driving again when your doctor or healthcare professional says it is safe.

Tell your Insurance Company

You must let your motor insurance provider know if you have had a stroke or TIA.

Car or Motorcycle Licence (Category B and BE on your licence)

This advice is for regular cars up to 3.5 tonnes/8 passenger seats. It also includes smaller motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes and cars with trailers attached.

• Stop driving for at least 1 month after a stroke or TIA
• You can only start driving again when your doctor or healthcare professional says it is safe

You do NOT need to tell DVLA if you have fully recovered after 1 month and have no symptoms affecting your ability to drive.

You MUST tell DVLA if you still have any of these after 1 month:

• Weakness in your arms or legs
• Eye problems (loss of vision or double vision) – you then need to be signed off by an ophthalmologist, if they do not sign you off then you may not be able to drive for up to 1 year
• Problems with balance, memory, or understanding

You must also tell DVLA if:

• You have had any type of seizure
• You needed brain surgery as part of stroke treatment
• Your doctor believes you may not be safe to drive

Report online at: www.gov.uk/stroke-and-driving or complete form STR1 and send to DVLA.

Bus, Coach or Lorry Licence (Category C1, C, D1 and D on your licence)

This advice is for vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes (large motorhomes, horseboxes and small trucks) large goods vehicles, minibus with up to 16 passengers, buses with more than 8 passenger seats.

• Stop driving immediately
• Tell DVLA
• No driving for at least 1 year
• Complete form STR1V and send to DVLA

Taxi drivers

After a stroke, taxi drivers must stop driving for a minimum of one month, inform the DVLA, their employer and their local licensing authority.

• Contact your local licensing authority: Taxi drivers are held to higher standards, similar to bus and lorry drivers, and your local council or Public Carriage Office will decide on the medical standards you must meet to return to work.

The local licensing authority for taxi drivers in your local area are shown below:

• Salford: Salford City Council's Licensing Team. You can contact them by email at licensing@salford.gov.uk
• Bury: Bury Council. You can contact them by email at licensing@bury.gov.uk
• Oldham: Oldham Council Licensing. You can contact them by telephone on 0161 770 4730
• Rochdale: Rochdale Borough Council. You can contact them via email at lic.applications@rochdale.gov.uk

Stroke-Related Seizures

• Provoked seizure (within 1 week of stroke) = No driving for 6 months
• Unprovoked seizure (more than 1 week after stroke) = No driving for 12 months

Need help deciding if you can drive?

You may be referred to your local community stroke therapy team who can support in returning to driving, if you haven’t then you may contact a Driving Mobility Assessment Centre for tailored advice.

They can:

• Check if you need to inform DVLA
• Arrange a driving assessment
• Support you with getting back to driving

Find your local centre: www.drivingmobility.org.uk