Should I report my colleague for this?

[ZZTopp]

My colleague had some kind of seizure about a month ago. She lost consciousness whilst out walking. She was upset and confused when she regained consciousness and was taken to A & E.

She spent a few days in hospital having tests, luckily everything appeared normal. She was told at the hospital she cannot drive for the foreseeable future.

She has been getting a lift to and from work, but I saw her one evening by coincidence driving from the shops.

I asked her the next day in work how she was finding not driving to see if she would admit driving but she just said it’s ‘quite difficult’. I then said I had seen her and she admitted she had driven to the shops. She then said she didn’t tell me because she feels judged. She said the doctors have found nothing wrong with her and she feels well. I said well I think the doctors know best and she replied with, ‘the doctors can only base their decisions and diagnosis on information and test results- my test results are normal and I know how I feel’.

should I report her to the DVLA / police / manager at work?

www.warwickshireworld.com/news/crime/driver-killed-woman-in-leamington-when-he-lost-control-of-his-car-after-having-an-epileptic-fit-after-being-warned-not-to-drive-due-to-his-condition-3141701

@Pinkbluebells busybodies can save lives, this husband would love to have his wife back, had busybodies interfered perhaps shed still be alive

ChuckMater

When would the doctors deem her safe to drive again?

I think the usual advice is to stop for 6 months and if a seizure occurs in that time, they do a further assessment and a longer timeframe.

Others have said it, you can report to DVLA in confidence. They've also pointed out that she could have another episode and kill someone.

Did the doctors order her not to drive for six-twelve months or something like that? Or was her licence actually suspended?

A woman where I live a few years ago caused a terrible fatal accident coming off a motorway and it emerged at her trial that she had been suffering blackouts and had been told not to drive. This is the link. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/blackout-driver-has-jail-term-doubled-over-road-death-29634736.html

The sentence was pretty lenient, I thought. But it is still a shockingly irresponsible thing to do.

You’ve also completely dropped yourself in it by quizzing her about driving, so if you report her she will know it’s you.

so what, the driver isn't going to mind if she is not doing anything wrong and it was a fainting episode

If she’d been told she could drive again, I’ve no doubt she’d have mentioned that.

My mil kept losing consciousness but hadn’t done so whilst driving so thought she could just carry on. My bil reported her to the DVLA and stole her keys. Better than her killing somebody. Report her.

Given the OP doesn’t know any of this as far as I can tell, reporting her colleague would be a really shit thing to do and the OP should keep her beak out.

Reporting to the DVLA is the right thing to do. They are the ones who need to decide this, not the OP, or anyone else on this thread.

If the OP's colleague injures herself or someone else, how is the OP going to feel?

driving is a privilege, not a right

I haven't read the whole thread but DVLA say you aren't allowed to drive for six months after having a seizure, even if they can't find anything wrong. I would say to her that she needs to report her seizure to the DVLA before someone else decides to.

I will report her as I think it is the right thing to do. I do feel bad because I believe she has a disabled child and has a lot of hospital appointments etc. she’s always working through her lunch to make up time taken off for her child. I know this will massively impact her, but it needs to be done. I will text her first and let her know as people have said she will know it’s me anyway

I think most people would mind being reported to their manager or the police and being accused of driving illegally if they weren’t.

Why would you jump to reporting anything to 'her manager at work'? It's nothing to do with them and they can't enforce it.

I wouldn't text her, if just say yes it was me if she asks.

I’ve just sent her a text, I hope it was the right thing to do

I hate the way you approached it, I think asking her how she was finding not driving when you knew full well she had been and then telling her as much when she didn't admit it was underhanded and bound to get someone's back up. You didn't have to do that and things like that have a funny way of making people double down further rather than realise they are wrong, so you've done poorly on a moral and practical perspective there.

That being said, she shouldn't be driving if unfit, that is unsafe for her and innocent people.

Why don't you have a conversation with her about your concerns? You may as well, she will obviously know it's you as you've brought up the driving, so at least do that with some decency and lay out your views and intentions. That alone should be enough to deter her and if not, then you can report in good conscience.

Yes, that's right. My father had a type of seizure 7 years ago and he was ordered not to drive for 6 months.

Seizures can be precursors to more serious things like strokes so I'm not surprised the law states that.

I’m surprised the hospital didn’t report her tbh. I certainly would.

This sounds like a wind up or a reverse, your posting style is so goady.

Have you offered to help her at all since you're so sure she absolutely has to be in this position?

The test results came back clear and there is nothing wrong with her.

So what was it that caused her blackout? Something must have done, and if they can't find a reason, there is no telling whether it might happen again. God forbid she's at the wheel if it does.

It will impact her far more if she killed herself or someone else if she drove and had a seizure whilst driving

OP, is there a chance that she might have been given the all-clear to drive but prefers to keep getting lifts instead?

Perhaps she's enjoying the company or can't afford much petrol or something, and the lie is that she's still not allowed to drive?

If you think she is actually driving when she's been told she shouldn't, however, I would be honest with her and tell her she needs to report it to the DVLA otherwise you will. That way, it's in her hands and it's not like you're going behind her back. Its perfectly reasonable to tell the DVLA as it could save lives (including your colleague's).

OP report her, honestly the risk she is posing is too high. She has been told not to drive and is ignoring it -if that decision and the risks that came with it only impacted her then you would be right to say nothing - unfortunately it doesnt. There are too many accidents resulting in death/serious life changing issues caused on roads each day. Normally its driver error but in an accidental way. She is causing a danger and is aware of it in advance! All the other posters telling OP to mind her own business etc, if someone like this driver became ill behind the wheel, caused an accident and killed a member of your family - would you be so blase?! I think not. OP do the right thing. Her behaviour is so selfish

This. And what about her child?

Hopefully your actions will take another dangerous driver off our roads.
If she wants to admit it or not, that's what she is, as she may have another seizure at any time. You've done the right thing

You said luckily all her tests came back normal! May she's just had an illness and that's it, perhaps since she has had all the test results and the all clear she is fit to drive.

But if she's not had a seizure before and not had one since it could probably be a one off all her tests came back clear.