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

[tomorrowisanotherdate]

For example, vertigo is a common one, I have had several friends develop vertigo and lose their license,

You cannot be insured to drive within 6 months of a vertigo attack, and both friends had attacks out of the blue in their early 40s - one only ever had one serious attack and had her license back in about a year - the other has never since gone 6 month between attacks, and has sold her car now

So suppose you have a vertigo attack out of the blue tonight, and can't drive for 6 months, starting now, how would that impact on your life?

Am I Being unreasonable to think lives should be planned around possibly being in this contingency, when choosing homes, jobs schools etc?

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 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 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'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'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 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.

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 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 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 am just musing that a lot of people take it for granted that they drive, and don't really think about what a privilege it is and how easily lost it is. Round here, a lot of people lost the ability to drive when ULEZ came in, and they could no longer afford to, for example - but we do live in a city with good public transport. My neighbour now carries all his tools around by bus - he manages, but I do feel sorry for him when I see him lugging them up the hill from the bus stop in the evenings.

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.

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!

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!

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

depends on the severity, doesn't it. vertigo can mean you feel a bit sick and dizzy, or that you collapse onto the ground, can't sit up and can't open your eyes.

The thing is, if you have mild vertigo, you might suddenly get a severe attack, so you normally require an assessment before being legally insured to drive. And some people of course, cannot drive at all ever again, once they start getting attacks

What you are talking about is fear of heights, and not related to vertigo, which is the disruption of your balance organ.

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 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 .

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 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 can't drive due to a fainting disorder, it's just not safe for me to be behind the wheel. I live close to work and the kids school so there isn't a huge issue, the majority of friends and family are within walking distance or on public transport routes and family and friends are generous with lifts if needed and convenient for them.

However if DM lost her license tomorrow, her world would collapse. Her friends are spread around the country and she drives long distances to visit them every month or so for the weekend. She has very few friends in our city due to moving away and only recently moving back.

You must have a lot of free time to spend navel gazing. Most people don't think about it because, well what are they supposed to do? Even if it is a privilege? So what?

I'm the only driver in our house, but I hate it so made sure we live close to acceptable public transport ('acceptable') for the NW. Things will take me a little longer and cost more, as I only drive to work with free parking while the peak time trains cost much more. But hey ho.

I lost mine a couple of months ago when the cancer meandered into my brain

Practicalitywise, it's been difficult and taxis cost more than car parks. People give me lifts, DH drives more

What's is so very hard, is the loss of independence. You just don't realise

I think work would let me wfh, but as far as school runs (would be at least 1hr15 min walk each way, no public transport available) after school activities etc, I'd be buggered. We're rural, no neighbours within at least a quarter of a mile in any direction. We do get shopping delivered, but for any Dr's appointments, vet visits etc, we'd be screwed. Even the nearest corner shop is over an hours walk away.

However, YABU. The infrastructure isn't there for folk living nearer all the facilities required as it stands now - where would you put all the rest of us who don't live near enough?

Would be a very hard for me. We live 6 miles from the closest bus stop which only has a bus every 2 hours. Only one taxi (ie. 1 vehicle) in closest town. In theory have DRT but doesn't really function due to lack of vehicles.

Daughter gets school bus so that would be fine, and I could probably negotiate WFH in that situation but would not be great for my job. I'd definitely feel very isolated as no amenities beyond a post box in my village

I don’t think lives should be planned around any sudden disability/death. I do think that there should be a Plan B if some common disabling event or death were to happen.