wanted to ask before acting!

[EllenandBump]

My sister has just applied for a provisional driving licence. She is doing this since i have decided to apply for one myself. The thing is i am quite worried about her driving. She suffers from sleep apnoe and currently is having problems with her heart and has been told not to do anything stressful or streneous. I am worried that she often goes into a sort of dazed state and this has caused her to fall off horses in the past because she basically goes into cuckoo land, AIBU to inform dvla of her illnesses as she has not disclosed any of them on her application. She is this year going to have a cardiac device fitted.

Any vehicle insurance she has will be invalid too if she doesn't declare this condition - Insurance fraud makes me livid.

Hmmm. If she were ever involved in an accident, I suspect that no insurance would be paid out for her. But it's not your responbsibility to vet her applications for anything.

To be on the safe side, an anonymous call would do no harm, I suppose.

I would, you'd feel worse if she ended up crashing into a tree because of it.

Mine is likely to be for ID for the foreseeable but i am still disclosing my epilepsy although it has been controlled for a few years now, but still twitching of a night. What worries me is my conscience, what if she were to have a concentration lapse (these happen several times a day when she goes into cuckoo land) and kill a child. I have spoken to her, and he partner, he wont put her on his insurance and is very uncomfortable about it, he actually went to her last doctors appointment with her and asked her doctor, and the doctor said definetly she is not well enough to drive! If it was ID only i wouldnt really care, but she has a passport. x

Not disclosing it on the license application is illegal, and in the event of an accident caused by the medical condition could lead to prosecution afaik. And definitely to the insurance being invalid. Not sure about shopping her yourself, but please please make this very clear to her!

Hopefully once the cardiac device is fitted her doctors will tell her she is fine to drive -- much better to wait til then I think.

You must. She is acting totally irresponsibly.

What if she fell asleep at the wheel or became ill and killed herself or someone else?

She is doing something illegal, you have a responsibility to report it. If you don't and she ends up injuring or even killing someone, you would be as much to blame.

Exactly. Thank you. Just wanted to make sure i wouldnt be poking my nose in when i have no right but i feel i have a right too. For christ sakes, she could kill someone, surely anyone has the right to?

YANBU. If her doctor says he is definitely not well enough to drive then she is being selfish in pursuing this. It could be someone's son or daughter that she mows down because of her unpredictable health.

Grassing her to the DVLA could save a life, literally.

How would you feel if she caused a fatal accident? I would certainly do it.

Thats what was playing on my mind to be honest. She is my sister and i know she could get into a lot of trouble but the bottom line is that its better she gets into trouble now than after she has killed someone, it would be someones family pulled apart and hearts broken, life wrecked. I will email them or write tomorrow. Its for the best. She only sent it today. x

You must report this as she is being so bloody irresponsible and selfish - I cannot hardly believe her selfishness, she could KILL someone. Report it now.

I am, tired of her being selfish. her selfishness is now affecting truly innocent [people, its one thing her being selfish within the family but when this could kill its just stupidity! I am glad no one thinks i am BU. X

Definately tell the DVLA! I knew a man who was killed by a driver who shouldn't have been driving because of health problems. The driver came round a corner on the wrong side of the road and left two children without a father! Sorry but this kind of thing p*** me off!

My uncle had sleep aponea but was totally fine to drive. IIRC it was something about the instinctive part of the brain being fine when it was being stimulated (as it would be while driving) whereas most other activities worked on a different part of the brain? However, if her GP hasn't cleared her for driving then YANBU. Maybe you and her DP could make her see sense though, rather than reporting her?

Who is going to teach her to drive btw? I take it not you or her DP?

ask her to inform the DVLA or you will - say it's because you love her and would hate her to have a serious car accident.

Her DP has said HE WILL NOT TEACH HER but he has told me he will teach me and put me on his insurance. He is also going to inform her doctor she has applied as well. Seems harsh but she wo nt listen to sense and we have tried, i tried again last night. Its not the sleep apnoe that worries me its her heart as she could thoretically have a heart attack at any time and her going off into cuckoo land. She is there with it one minute and the next she is in a dazed, like asleep but with her eyes open! I wouldnt be so worried if she was only going to possibly kill herself, thats her choice, its the impact on other people too.. x

I think you have to be cruel to be kind sometimes. The doc will know the right route and if you can nip it in the bud before she actually gets behind the wheel she hopefully won't get in too much trouble. What a hard situation for you OP!

ElleandBump I also have epilepsy, now reasonably controlled by medication (but it's early days). I used to have a just couple of full seizures a year but lots of very bad partial ones almost every week. Now I just get dizzy spells and feeling faint once in a while (but this could be down to my PG), my epilepsy doctor can't be sure as I have only been on the medication since 21 weeks of PG.
Anyway I have taken the decision not to ever learn to drive, I think it is just to much of a risk, even when I am allowed after being controlled by meds for some time. The idea of doing so terrifies me, so I think I would be a nervous driver so there for not safe anyway. My mum on the other hand also has epilepsy, not the same kind as me, just a big coincidence. She has been totally seizure free for several years she is legally allowed to drive now it has been controlled, and drives as part of her job.
I guess it really depends on the person and the condition. Good on you for learning to drive! But your sister on the other hand is being utterly UR , report her to the DVLA ASAP. Doing so could save her life and others.

There may be different types of sleep apnoea but I heard in an interview one of the most frequent reasons for people to receive a diagnosis is after a car crash, so I'm pretty sure it does affect driving.

Might be worth appealing to her selfishness?! If her GP has been explicitly asked and he said no, she'll be in real trouble if anything goes wrong. When I fell ill a few years ago I was worried about driving and went to see my specialist. He said I'd be fine and wrote to the DVLA on my behalf. I kept a copy of the letter just in case. If she is caught, found to have an undeclared condition AND has been explicitly told not to drive, there's no point even paying for insurance!

Why not pitch it to her slightly differently:
If you have any medical condition not outlined to DVLA or insurance company then insurance will be invalid.
If she is involved in any accident whatsoever, she is not covered, and, even if the accident is someone elses fault, or even 50-50, she will PERSONALLY be liable for all expenses (medical and physical) that result. That could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, and would financially cripple her for the rest of her life...is it worth it?

I think if her DP informs her doctor clearly then he will be obliged to notify the DVLA. My DH has had to report several patients over the years for heart conditions and he says it is quite a sad thing to do (for most people it's like taking away their independence .... After being able to drive for years) but it is a necessity.