Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to report this person to the authorities?

23 replies

busymumster · 04/09/2013 20:51

A close family relative sadly had a stroke which has left some considerable brain damage a few years ago.

The person has not informed their car insurance or the DVLA about the illness and continues to drive, despite being a poor driver (and having had several minor prangs).

The person continues to drive as their spouse has really pandered to them following the illness, and the brain damage has made the person in question very overbearing and domineering. Allowing them to continue driving was the easy option, and they have sorted out all the car insurance etc (without mentioning the brain damage).

I am really concerned by the whole thing, and couldn't live with myself if an innocent person was hurt. I reported it to Crime Stoppers, but nothing happened.

AIBU to report this to the police? If I did would they protect my anonymity?

OP posts:
Hawkmoth · 04/09/2013 20:53

Would it be a DVLA issue? I'm sure you can report through them.

friday16 · 04/09/2013 20:53

Contact the DVLA and your local police. It's an entirely reasonable thing to do. They're not strictly speaking driving uninsured, as insurers are not permitted to refuse to make third party payments on the grounds of non-disclosure by the insured party, but they're treading a very thin line on that as well.

themagicroundabout · 04/09/2013 20:54

I would report to the dvla to investigate. They can't force your own details out of you.

Catsize · 04/09/2013 20:55

Difficult situation, but yes, DVLA I think.

WeAreEternal · 04/09/2013 20:59

I would be on the phone to the dvla and the insurance company first thing in the morning.
How selfish and irresponsible, it doesn't matter how mild they believe their condition now is, brain damage is brain damage and it should have been declared, it is then up to the dvla whether or not that person is fit to drive.

Anyone who sits by and ignores this is just as irresponsible.

Please report them, if they are fine to drive that's up to the dvla to determine, but you would never forgive yourself if they hurt someone and you had said nothing.

jacks365 · 04/09/2013 21:00

My daughter's dad can not drive due to medical issues but dvla was informed by his specialist so I would question whether this persons licence has been revoked or not. If it hasn't then there is nothing anyone can do if it has then the police would have acted on it.

SpecialJK · 04/09/2013 21:02

They are legally bound to tell the DVLA if they have a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive. Then it's up the DVLA, based on medical records, whether they decide to take their licence away. This webpage gives info

www.gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions

If they have an accident, they can be liable for up to £1000 fine and prosecuted if they haven't made the DVLA aware of their condition

BerylStreep · 04/09/2013 21:06

Yes, DVLA are the folk to speak to.

SybilRamkin · 04/09/2013 21:07

DVLA. Immediately. Before someone gets hurt or killed.

Original poster
busymumster · 04/09/2013 21:25

Anyone know who to speak to at the DVLA? All the links I can find relate to the driver themselves doing the reporting rather than someone else..

Thanks for all of your comments, I really appreciate them all Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
busymumster · 04/09/2013 21:28

Oh, and the exact illness is on the list of things that the driver is absolutely obliged to report to the DVLA.

Sorry I can't be more specific but I don't want to be outed...

OP posts:
BerylStreep · 04/09/2013 22:01

Just phone them and say you have huge concerns about someone you know and their health impacting their ability to drive - ask who is the best person to speak to.

deste · 04/09/2013 22:11

He will probably have been told that he cannot drive and he is supposed to send his licence to the DVLA. But at the same time I have heard of people with brain injury that were never informed in error. He knows he shouldn't be driving.
Report him to the police if you think he is a danger to himself and others.

jjuice · 04/09/2013 22:17

Someone I know has dementia and I helped him fill in forms for dvla and would not him lie on them, but they just said he had to reapply every 12 months. I was horrified. He kept scraping his car. But the crunch camewhen he turned up with 2 flat tyres - he had hit a bollard near a busy school. When I questioned him he said he stopped as soon as he heard the noise, I tried to explain that would have been too late if it had been a child ! It didnt stop him driving.
I wasn't on the verge of paying for a reaction test via the dvla and pretending it was obligatory when the weather turned and he started getting taxis.
Thankfully he made the decision to stop himself and sold his car.
Don't sit back and hope for the best. You will never forgive yourself if he kills a child.

friday16 · 04/09/2013 22:31

"You will never forgive yourself if he kills a child."

Or anyone, really. Killing an adult is hardly an acceptable outcome.

jjuice · 04/09/2013 22:58

Obviousy if he kills anyone! Child was in my mind as he was near a school. Figure of speech. Ffs this is why I rarely post. Some people just pick holes in everything!

ageofgrandillusion · 04/09/2013 23:02

Or kills an animal like a dog or cat. Or other domestic animal that is out on the roads.

BerylStreep · 04/09/2013 23:07

I am closely aware of an incident in which a person who had had both a heart attack and a stroke continued to drive. He had some sort of event which caused him to pass out /lose control and he crashed into an oncoming car and died of his injuries, also causing severe injury to the other driver.

A friend of my Mum's also killed a pedestrian whilst driving. The friend was in her 80s, and had had some health difficulties. She handed her licence in straight away, however I don't think she has ever got over the consequences of the accident.

OnTheBottomWithAWomensWeekly · 04/09/2013 23:08

Well, she probably would forgive herself if he killed a cat. not really in the same league as mowing down a toddler, is it?

BabsAndTheRu · 04/09/2013 23:10

The rules for driving after a stroke are pretty clear, you have to abstain from driving for 4 weeks after the stroke and only resume driving once your GP or consultant has said you are medically fit enough. You must by law inform DVLA of your medical condition and your insurance company. If any crash was to happen insurance would not cover any costs if they are unaware of the stroke. You may well find that a GP has stated the person is fit to drive, if that is the case there is nothing you can do. When we have concerns about people driving its there GP we contact first. HTH

morethanpotatoprints · 04/09/2013 23:18

Oh you must report this for all concerned.
I am usually against reporting of most kinds but this is a must.
I would inform The Police my friend was a policeman and once had to stop one of our childhood friends parents and take his keys of him, for this very reason. The Police will do something, also report to DVLA.
Good luck OP.

Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 04/09/2013 23:27

My mum once had a brain tumour and subsequent radiotherapy and steroids. When her treatment finished and thankfully had worked, her doctor told her that she could notify DVLA now that she was safe to drive again. She was horrified that nobody, including the doctor, had told her to declare herself unfit to drive in the first place. She'd just carried on as normal. She had no idea that she shouldn't be driving. Luckily she never had an issue with it.

KissMeHardy · 04/09/2013 23:32

You do not have to report a stroke or a heart attack to the DVLA. All you have to do is stop driving for a month (for 1 stroke) or 2 months (if you have 2 strokes in quick succession).

Brain damage is another matter, though.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page