How would you manage if you lost your driving licence tomorrow?

I had a short period after a stroke when I couldn’t drive but as I was already off work sick plus shielding during Covid etc it didn’t really impact

Now I work at home full time and rarely leave the house during the week so I’d be fine with DH ferrying me around at weekends

I would be fine. I can cycle most places, get public transport for anything long distance.

however it would then land dh with the bulk of ferrying dc around to their clubs. Dc would also have to either cut down on some activities or accept they need to get the bus there.

it would also be a pain when dc learns to drive in two years. The oldest I did a lot of sitting in the car while they drove here there and everywhere as learners. Dc would likely only be able to drive with an instructor.

I have poor eyesight. It's not bad enough to stop me from driving ( scary thought!) but I can no longer do long trips.

I only do supermarket shops .

Ooh, interesting. It would be an annoyance but not a total disaster, I get public transport to work anyway, and can walk to nursery (although DH could also do that). DH would be able to drive us places at the weekend, but it would limit what I could do independently/just me and DD - or everything would take much longer as we'd need to take the train/bus, eg visiting my mum by car is an hours drive, but by train and bus it would take 2 1/2 to 3.

I could get my son to school. I wouldn’t be able to do my current job so universal credit for me.

Same.

It would take me about 90 mins to get to work (4 mile walk/cycle, train, 2.5 mile walk/cycle - bikes not actually allowed on the train so could only cycle to/from one of those stations). It's a 23 minute drive. I go to the office 1/2 days a week (would rather go more, as I need the interaction, but noone else is in so there's no point). About 1 day a fortnight I need to drive long distances to client offices (not in town/city centres that I can reach by train in a sensible timeframe).

I couldn't get to running club, choir, or tennis without relying on lifts (they're all in the evening- no buses) or taxis (which would be cost prohibitive).

I live rurally, and there is a good on demand bus service - but only from 8am-6pm, and only to the nearest town, from where you'd have to pick up a normal bus (which is infrequent and takes forever).

So without my car, I couldn't live here and have any kind of enjoyable life. I need my hobbies, and I have to get to work!

Haven’t heard of this to be honest! Most people who are excluded from the on call rota due to medical reasons are due to being unsuitable to being lone workers in the event of a medical emergency so I imagine it would depend on the illness that was preventing me from driving.

I can appreciate this would help me keep my day job though!

Not the point of this thread but intrigued to read people go to the doctor when they experience an episode of Vertigo. I thought it was just something fairly routine that some people suffer from and not a serious medical condition. Or was this an attack of Vertigo when you were just walking around normally and not when looking down from great height? If the latter, how is that different from just a run of the mill dizzy spell?

Personally I feel unsteady/dizzy if eg I’m standing at the edge of a cliff or climb a tall ladder. It’s never occurred to me that would have an impact on my ability to drive.

It would be inconvenient, but I'd manage fine. I WFH every day and the DCs walk to school. We could get to all their after school activities by them cycling and me running (or cycling), it would just take longer. Or not given how bad the traffic is sometimes! DD's horse riding would be a bit trickier but I think we could probably get a bus if they run that early.

I have been through this due to severe depression and it’s been a nightmare. Struggle with getting kids to school, getting to work (meant to do on call work from home), it’s so hard. Bus goes through our town every 2 hours.
Im managing though. Just about.

It's really hard. I am reliant on public transport after health issues stopped me driving. Mostly ok as live in a town with ok buses but I am very restricted where I can get to without help. Evenings out are tricky as I can't get anywhere safely unless lifts / taxis. Work is (fortunately) ok but I'm very restricted in terms of getting a new job as there are so many places you can only get to by car. It's fine but scary to be reliant on buses when they're continually being cut...

I would struggle. long commute and no good public transport between home and work . I have 2 disabled kids, one with complex SN so loads of appointments and ferrying around. Eldest doesn't cope on buses. We also live rurally which doesn't help. It would be a major issue. I would have to move I suppose to cope.

I've had caesareans and unable to drive for 6 weeks at a time. Drove me bonkers. We are rural with no public transport whatsoever.
Dh working full time I was literally cooped up all day. I would die if I didn't have a car. I spend hours a week ferrying kids to school, clubs, work, doing shopping etc. I hate driving but it's a necessity.

I'd be ok. A bit inconvenient for work meetings on site but doable. 20 minute walk to work if I need to go in.

I would lose the job I do 2 days per month.

But otherwise I'd manage. I live in London so getting about locally isn't a problem. I'd probably get fitter and lose some weight.

I no longer drive, and I cope. But my world is very small as I can't use buses either.

However, YABU to insist that people plan their lives just in case they can no longer drive. That would be like planning your house in case you suddenly can no longer walk.

I’d have to look for a new job urgently. I work in 6 different workplaces and only spend about an hour or so in each workplace at a time so getting buses wouldn’t really work as the journeys would be out of proportion to the time spent at the workplace, and I then wouldn’t have enough time to get to the next venue.

I had this and was briefly told by DVLA not to drive but my doctor contacted them and advised I was fully safe to drive and it was all sorted out within a couple of weeks and I got a letter back advising I could continue to drive.
It was horrible though as I had to try to get lifts to work for those two weeks etc. It would be less of a problem now as I could work from home and get shopping delivered.

I can't bear to think about it. I have a school refuser and the only way I'll every get her back is to drive her in.

I don't work as I had to take ill health retirement aged 55 last year. I have a disability & rely on my car to get to appointments. I wouldn't manage on public transport. I couldn't afford taxis all the time as I'd never planned to be still paying my mortgage while living off my pension. I'd be lost without my car.

I’d probably manage but it would massively limit my freedom. We live rurally although there is a bus that connects to town and then up to the city. I certainly wouldn’t be able to hold down a job anywhere. I could order the shopping in and Dh could drive me about when he’s here. I might quite like it actually.

You might be able to get help with transport from Access to Work if you needed the transport to keep your job.

I had to surrender my license for six months after having brain surgery on a tumour. It then took a further 10 months for the DVLA to reissue it after getting the medical clearance from my surgeon.

It massively impacted my life. I have two young children. Thankfully we walk to school, but not being able to run them places in the car and relying on lifts from people was so difficult, a real knock to my independence. I am still signed off work, but if that weren't the case I honestly don't know how I'd get to work as my drive to work is 40 minutes and I can't work from home (nor is there adequate public transport).

I really feel for people who have to give up their license longer term.