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Following up on my forum post back on the 4th of July about “Driving and Sleep Apnoea” I thought I would bring you up to date with my experience.
I was diagnosed with OSA all the way back in 2008 and panicked, just like everyone else No Sleep, No Job and No Driving and nearly No Wife.
All these being the side affects of OSA and NOT just because I was a “miserable old S:”*<”
After a couple of scary near misses in the car I took myself of the road and sold the car.
As time went on I have a general go to bed routine, a CPAP machine with mask and the doctor has balanced my pills so I feel ready to go back on the road.
Back then I telephoned the DVLA and asked for their guidance, at that time I was simply told that as with all drivers it is the drivers responsibility to decide if he/she is fit enough to drive safely, no matter what the problem or disability is, basically is you feel you should not drive DO NOT DRIVE!
So now I am feeling better about life and everything, what should I do about driving, on contacting the DVLA recently the rules seem to have changed, in that instead of us taking responsibility for our own measure of SAFE TO DRIVE, the DVLA has added an extra word to the definition of OSA by the use of “Syndrome” and state that in all such cases you should now contact them with a view to surrendering your licence whilst “awaiting” their investigation as to the severity of your OSA Syndrome?
In my last visit to the Bristol Sleep Unit I was told “not to drive” without having notified the DVLA of my OSA by completion of their form SL1 “Questionnaire to assess your medical fitness to drive”
The routine than runs as follows, Your send the form to the DVLA they write to your Consultant, who in turn writes to your sleep unit who then check your “Compliance” by machine record card to see if you are achieving, so many hours sleep a night and using the machine 100% of the time.
The whole paper chase is then reversed. So for all of you thinking about what to do, first ask your sleep unit if you are in compliance, correct it if not, and send the forms of to the DLVA. I did not drive whilst this was going on, “Just in Case”
I have just received the DVLA decision letter, which states:
“From the information we have received you satisfy the medical standards for safe driving. I am pleased to tell you that you may keep your driving licence.”
Two lines after all that heart ache, still Yipeeeeeeeeee Back On The Road again.
With the proviso that if I feel it is safe to do so..........................
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DVLA What to do303.jpg, 2.3 MB DVLA Yes302.jpg, 1.5 MB Thanks for this update Graeme, which will no doubt help others. Pleased to hear that you now feel well enough to drive again and have got your licence back :)
I've attached the SL1 DVLA form for people to see.
DVLA SL1 FORM.pdf, 367 KB Hi Mary, its oh so easy to carry on day to day with driving just to the shops or because its raining.
I was a salesman and a sales manager so driving for me was a way of life. So to be told I should not drive because I am a bit sleepy simply reflected my way of life for over twenty years.
Until a few years back, having just be confirmed to have OSA, I was rudely awoken by this loud banging, forcing myself to come out of a nice nap I realized that the banging was other drivers banging on my car windows to wake me up.
This happened at a set of traffic lights that had long turned to green, and more than once going by the number of cars behind mine, at a busy main road set of traffic lights.
Just imagine if my car was an automatic! and I had not used the hand brake, my car would have continued through the red lights and I would have been awoken by an even louder bang.
So please think about your and other peoples safety, if like me at that time you can not control nodding off. The DVLA is not in the business of taking away driving licences, they only want everyone to be safe.
Check with your sleep unit and if you are not in "compliance" find out why and fix it, as with me it could simply mean a change of face mask to stop air leakage, and an additional benifit in getting the most out of the darn CAPA machine is a whole new release of life when its working properly.
Best of luck, and get your mask checked, write to the DLVA for the form SL1 or download it from their site, see the top of this post.
Graeme 28/09/2011
Hello again,
The US is not that different to the UK, it is only recently that we have a small change to the advice "sometimes given" to us on this side of the pond.
The Doctor or sleep clinic or whoever, usually stated "that you should not drive if you feel un well or sleepy".
Fair enough, so when I first contacted the UK Driving Licence people (DVLA), I was simply told that Sleep Apnoea is not a reportable condition and it is the drivers responsibility to ensure that they are "safe" to drive ............... just like everyone else that drives.
Recently my Sleep Unit told me that they now state that if you are diagnosed with OSA you "must" contact the DVLA.
I have noticed that a new word has popped up in various papers etc that now uses, OSA "Syndrome" and the instruction to contact the DVLA "before" continuing to drive.
All this is possibly due to an increased number of lorry drivers causing large road accidents by "Falling Asleep" !!!!!!
Hi Graeme,
I have just had my annual visit with my sleep clinic and had a good long chat on how the system works in the UK as it seems there was some confusion as to whether you had to submit your driving licence to the DVLA. I was told that at no time will the DVLA remove your driving licence unless you are non compliant once diagnosed. One example she gave me was lorry drivers who were diagnosed with OSA but had missed a number of pre arranged appointments at their clinic. The DVLA carried out spot checks (which they do) by contacting the clinic to see if the lorry drivers were compliant and when the DVLA discovered that the appointments had not been kept the lorry drivers were informed that their driving licences had been revoked. At this point the lorry drivers were banging on the door of the clinics wanting an appointment there and then so they would be compliant again. This also applies to taxi drivers and bus drivers.
She said that you do have to tell the DVLA that you have been diagnosed with OSA along with your car insurance company but there is no requirement to stop driving or hand in your licence unless you do not comply with the treatment. If they check your CPAP and find that you are not using it for 4 hours or more then you are non compliant and you will lose your licence until you comply. Obviously you must be responsible and not drive if you are tired but prior to being diagnosed awaiting my first appointment with the clinic and after being diagnosed my driving licence was never taken from me and the DVLA didn't say that I must stop driving. Generally I was not tired behind the wheel although I did have a scary moment on the outside lane of a motor way prior to being diagnosed when I fell asleep for a split second before the adrenalin kicked in. At my first appointment after using CPAP I only had a few hours per night recorded as I really struggled to use it. The next appointment I had increased my use to 4 hours so was complaint. Now I'm up to 7.5 hours after 2.5 years of use and they have released me from having to attend an annual appointment. I only need to contact them if I have an issue or need a new mask liner. I must admit though if I'd fallen asleep at traffic lights I would never have driven until I felt it was safe to do so, well done you!!
One thing the clinic said that some time ago someone in authority decided that all licences should be taken when people were diagnosed until people did comply but that is no longer the case. It is your responsibility to ensure you are safe to drive. I hope this helps those who are reading through this forum thinking they have OSA but don't want to get a diagnoses in case they lose their licence.
Kind Regards
Julie
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