Almost one million elderly individuals told to ‘eventually stop driving’ due to condition

Nearly one million older individuals will have to eventually “stop driving” due to a major road safety concern, according to experts. The Alzheimer’s Society said motorists diagnosed with dementia would not have to give up their driving licence straight away, with around one in three sufferers still behind the wheel.

However, they stressed the high level of concentration needed to drive a vehicle safely meant it was inevitable that sufferers would have to give up. They suggested most suffering from the disease tend to hand over their licence around the "middle stage of dementia" but some may decide to quit sooner. Dementia is more likely to affect motorists in later life, with the NHS suggesting that 1 in 11 of those aged over 65 have the condition.

The Alzheimer's Society said: “As dementia gets worse, it affects these skills even more. This means everyone with dementia will eventually be unable to drive safely. How quickly this happens varies from person to person. Most drivers with Alzheimer’s disease will need to stop driving in the middle stage of dementia. Some types of dementia have certain early symptoms that mean an end to driving might be sooner.

“For example, visual hallucinations are common in dementia with Lewy bodies and impulsive behaviour is common in frontotemporal dementia.”

Data suggests that as many as 944,000 people in the UK have dementia with this figure predicted to grow. The NHS says that by the end of the decade, the number of people suffering from dementia in the UK is likely to be more than 1 million.

Motorists are legally required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) when they are issued a dementia diagnosis.

Officials have the power to decide whether or not to revoke a driving licence, with a range of checks likely. Experts may contact the road users doctor for more information or ask individuals to undergo a health check before a final decision is made.

Dementia UK explains that drivers who fail to inform officials of a diagnosis are likely to be breaking the rules and could be hit with severe penalties.

They said: “If the person with dementia doesn’t inform the DVLA/DVA of their diagnosis, their GP may disclose relevant medical information to the agency. This can be done without their permission, but is best avoided if possible, as it can cause distress and resentment.

“The person with dementia could be fined up to £1,000 for not telling the DVLA/DVA about their diagnosis, and the person’s insurance may become invalid.”