Should I spend £34 on applying for a Provisional driving license?

SheffieldMan1976
SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,732 Connected
in Transport and travel

To potentially get lessons in an Automatic with a view to getting a Motability car via cashing in my enhanced PIP Award?

Thing is, I was turned down in July 2003 aged 27 on medical grounds by the DVLA, nearly 23 years later would the same thing happen again if I was to reapply?

Comments

  • kreacher
    kreacher Community Member Posts: 571 Empowering

    it probably depends on whether you have the same medical problems as last time, have they got better or worse, in all honesty i can't really give a definitive answer

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,732 Connected
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127826#Comment_1127826

    The original application was for a manual,

  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community Member Posts: 15,511 Championing

    In case you're not already aware, you only need a provisional license to take out a Motability car (though I'm assuming you'd need to put a full license holder on the insurance, too) and Motability can fund up to 40 hours of driving lessons

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,327 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127837#Comment_1127837

    You've previously mentioned that the first one was declined based on a lack of patience, rather than physical ability to control a manual car. I don't think applying for an automatic licence would make any difference to that.

    However, society has progressed in 20 years regarding disabilities and medical conditions. I would say it is worth applying again. But also that you need to be realistic as to whether you could remain calm and patient on the road. Driving isn't just about how good a driver you are, it's also about having to take unexpected action to avoid all of the bad drivers.

    I do have some experience with that, as it took me a long time to become ready for a test. I could operate the car perfectly when I was just following routines in low traffic. But when something unexpected happened (other people randomly jumping red lights and giveway markings for example) I tended to panic and didn't always know how to get out of the situation. I did pass first time after about 6 months of work, but even after passing I always found other peoples actions difficult to predict…but that is the same when I'm on foot as well, I've come to accept it'll probably never change now, likely part of a neurodiversity rather than something that I can fix.

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,732 Connected
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127929#Comment_1127929

    Good point, especially about Motability funding 40 hours of lessons, saves me a lot of money that.

  • Holly_Alumni
    Holly_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 6,534 Championing

    It would be nice to have that independence @SheffieldMan1976. Which way are you leaning?

  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community Member Posts: 15,511 Championing

    @OverlyAnxious

    It's interesting to read your perspective & experiences on this, they seem quite similar to my own. I've always thought driving was a bit of an edge case with regards to rights and things. It's clear that excluding someone from driving due to disability (as a simple example, blindness) is discrimination in a literal sense, but in a legal sense of course would be considered reasonable

    I think I got through my test despite severe anxiety due in part to some luck (e.g., no fast motorway on the test route) post-test it was up to me as a driver to self-certify and only expose myself to driving situations where I'd be fit to deal with the worst case scenario

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,732 Connected
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127992#Comment_1127992

    I'd only be driving fairly local, maybe the odd out of Town trip to a comic con or a Taekwondo competition, maximum of a 3 hour round trip.

    It was suggested last week that an EV would work out significantly cheaper than a Petrol car.

    It's on my agenda in the coming weeks to enquire about a P license.

  • WelshBlue
    WelshBlue Community Member Posts: 1,423 Championing
    edited May 27
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1128011#Comment_1128011

    Interesting point about legal and Literal discrimination but ultimately it's all down to law by The Secretary of State for Transport. Strangely it seems with medical conditions not one size fits all

    I can only speak of things I know

    1. My daughter has a Medical Review Licence of 3 years for a car but has to reapply every year for her C1to continue driving ambulances

    2. I've got exactly the same condition as my daughter but I've been able to retain a Full Licence including all categories that older style licences had automatically. Including a C1

    Doesn't make sense to me

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