Of these licence holders; 307,000 were motorcyclists and car drivers and almost 56,000 of cases were lorry or bus drivers, who were taken off the road due to medical conditions that made them potentially unsafe. As of 2014 a total of 363,280 UK driving licences have been medically revoked, new research has revealed.
However, this could be 'just the tip of the iceberg' according to the study as there could be many more who haven't declared their conditions to the relevant authorities. Figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency show that more than 40,000 drivers have been taken off the road already this year!
The DVLA’s figures also show that there has been a significant rise in the number of motorists taken off the road because of illnesses and medical conditions since 2016. These peaked in 2018, with 73,724 cases of motorists being deemed unfit for the road last year and in 2019 - up until the end of July - a total of 42,467 licences have already been medically rescinded, based on the government agency's records.
While it may come as no surprise to you that of those who lost licences, almost two-thirds (65 per cent) were over the age of 50, however, there were also plenty of cases of young motorists being rendered unfit to be behind the wheel due to a wide variety of medical conditions.
These figures could soon rise though, particularly with the constant debate over older drivers on the road and the now more thorough retesting for those over the age of 70!
Would you be willing to give up your licence for medical reasons or tell a friend/relative to do so? Let us know your thoughts on our social media channels!
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