Driving

Philbow

In 2001 i had an accident and lost my lower right leg .Up until now ive been driven around by my wife.She has left and im now virtually housebound due to Nueromas in my stump .I would love to start driving again to visit my children as only 1 of my children drive and hes always working .I lost my licence 1 year before the accident for drink driving i no longer hold a driving licence. If you could put me in the direction of agencies who can help i would be forever in your debt.

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Philbow welcome to the community.

A drink driving conviction will be valid for 10 years and can be removed from your licence 11 years after the event.

There is lots of information here about learning to drive.

You'll need to get your provisional licence and take your theory test.  "Once the theory test is out of the way, it is time to find a driving instructor. While your local area may be full of instructors, you may find it beneficial to seek out the extra knowledge that a specialist tutor brings to the table. Driving Mobility (previously known as Forum of Mobility Centres) is a good place to start as Driving Assessors, at most Centres, will be able to assess your needs and recommend solutions for you. This involves them assessing your needs first, and then teaching you to drive, sometimes in specially adapted vehicles. They can also help you with the theory and hazard perception tests."

If you are an existing Motability Scheme customer, some grant funding may be available from Motability, the charity, for up to 40 hours of tuition for new drivers. You can find out more about this here.

You don't mention if you are claiming any benefits, you can take a look at the benefits calculator here to see what you could be entitled to.

I hope this helps, let us know if you have any other questions!

Philbow

Thank you Sam thats a great help ill get my provisional licence although i wonder if my full licence is still active as ive already passed my test 1998-1999 is there a limit on how long you can leave it dormant after my ban. 

Sam_Alumni

Good point @Philbow you can check your licence here.

Or contact the DVLA at:
DVLA driver licensing enquiries
Telephone: 0300 790 6801 
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm 
Saturday, 8am to 2pm 
Find out about call charges

KylieGirl

Hi @Philbow . I drove for 11 years using hand controls. I worked for a company that adapted cars for disabled drivers. If you are still able to drive a manual car you could get a left foot accelerator.

I Appreciate there is a way to go yet but if you would like any further information I am more than happy to help. Good luck with your life and I do hope that you get your independence back soon.

Best wishes

Philbow

Thank you very much KylieGirl much appreciated.