A guide from South East DriveAbility about driving assessments for clients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment

Important information

If you have received a diagnosis of dementia, you have a legal requirement to notify the DVLA Medical Advisory Branch of your condition. This is because dementia is a progressive condition that could affect your fitness to drive. Please note that notification is the responsibility of the licence holder, not your GP or consultant. The DVLA will talk to your medical team and may, if it feels it is necessary, ask you to attend a driving assessment at a mobility centre.

If you have not been diagnosed with dementia but are experiencing difficulties with your memory, your GP or consultant may refer you for a driving assessment at a mobility centre. This is to ensure that your memory problems are not affecting your fitness to drive.

The information in this advice sheet relates to your forthcoming driving assessment. It is important that you read it carefully before you arrive to ensure that you are prepared. We hope the contents will answer any questions you may have. Please do not hesitate to contact us if there is something you are unsure of.

Before you arrive

If your vision does not meet the minimum legal requirement, then you will not be permitted to do a practical on-road drive. Please ensure that you are able to read a vehicle number plate at a distance of 20 metres (65 feet), with glasses or contact lenses if you normally wear them. If you have any doubts about your vision, we strongly advise you to have an eye test before booking an assessment. If you have had a visual field test and have been given a copy of the result, it would be helpful for us to see this.

If you need glasses or contact lenses for reading and/or driving, it is essential that you bring them with you to the assessment. Please also bring your driving licence.

How do I get to the centre?

We offer assessments at our main centre in Maidstone and at our outreach centres in north and east Kent as well as in East Sussex. Directions will be sent to you with your appointment letter.

We strongly advise that you do not drive yourself to the assessment. This is because there have been times when it has been unsafe for clients to continue to drive. Alternatively, you may be tired after the assessment, which could affect your safety when driving. If no-one is able to accompany you, our assessment centres are accessible by public transport. We are happy to collect you from a bus or train station, although we would need prior notice of your arrival time.

What if I need assistance?

Our Maidstone centre is fully accessible. If you have complex needs, we may not be able to accommodate you at our outreach centres. Please contact us to discuss your individual requirements.

What happens during the assessment?

You will be helped by an ADI driving advisor and a clinical driving advisor/occupational therapist. The assessment will usually take about two hours and will include some or all of the activities listed, depending upon your individual requirements.

Health and safety

A checklist will be completed to make sure that we are aware of any medical conditions you may have. This will enable us to offer you the highest quality of care while you are with us.

Physical assessment

If you have any other medical conditions, which could affect your ability to steer or operate the foot pedals, then the assessor may carry out a short assessment of your range of movement, muscle strength, manual dexterity and co-ordination.

Cognitive testing

If you have a diagnosis of dementia, or any other memory problems, it is very likely that you will have done some cognitive testing at the memory clinic or with your GP. Our assessment team will also ask you to carry out a short series of tabletop assessments, to look at how you solve problems, your memory and other skills you need to drive. Please note that this is not an intelligence test or an IQ measure. Similarly, these tabletop tests cannot definitively state whether you can or cannot drive safely; what the tests will do is give the assessment team an indication of whether your medical condition may have affected your ability to drive safely.

Vision

You will be asked to read a number plate from a distance of 20 metres (65 feet). A maximum of three attempts is allowed. In addition, your visual field may be checked using our visual screening machine. Please remember to bring your glasses with you, if you need to wear them. If you are unable to complete this element, you will not be able to undertake an on-road drive.

Practical drive

The drive will take place in one of our dual controlled manual or automatic vehicles, depending on your preference. For insurance reasons it is not possible to carry out the assessment in your own vehicle. The drive will start with a familiarisation session on very quiet roads. This is to enable the ADI driving advisor to make sure you are comfortable in the car and to explain the controls to you. The session will not proceed to an actual assessment until you are comfortable with the car. The assessment drive will use one of our standardised routes, which will cover typical road conditions and hazards you may encounter during your everyday driving. You will not be taken on a motorway. Please note that this is not a driving test; we are looking for a safe drive with good control of the car and awareness of other road users.

Feedback session

The assessment team will meet you, with a friend or relative present if you wish; to discuss the assessment. A recommendation will be made at the end of the feedback session, but it should be stressed that South East DriveAbility does not have the power to revoke your driving licence and this can only be done by the DVLA.

Do I have to pay for the assessment?

There may be a charge for the assessment, depending upon the type of assessment and who has referred you. Details are given below:

DVLA referral

The DVLA will sometimes refer individuals for a full driving assessment, which will encompass all aspects of the assessment process listed above. In this case, the DVLA will pay for the assessment and there will be no charge for the person being assessed.

Client referral

If you or your family have any concerns about whether your medical condition has affected your ability to drive, you can refer yourself. In this case, you would be responsible for the full fee. Please phone us on 0300 0134 886 for details of our up-to-date charges and waiting list.

Referral by healthcare professional

If a member of your medical team refers you, a full driving assessment, which will encompass all aspects of the assessment process listed above. There is a subsidised fee for this assessment. Please phone us on 0300 0134 886 for details of our up-to-date charges and waiting list.