Sheila Edwards
17 Apr 2025 · Coroner James Adeley · Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen
This report repeats 1 earlier warning, and was raised again 3 times later. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. underreporting of drivers with dementia
“Dementia affects approximately half a million sufferers in the United Kingdom of which the DVLA has only been notified of approximately 30,000 drivers”
2. inherent unsafety of self-reporting system for dementia
“A system that relies upon the self-awareness of a person applying for a driving licence to self-report a medical condition of dementia where the condition itself is characterised by a lack of self-awareness is inherently unsafe and exposes other road users to the risk of death or serious injury”
3. rising number of older drivers with dementia
“The UK population is of increasing age and the number of older drivers is increasing rapidly”
4. underrecording of dementia in collision data
“there is a significant likelihood that dementia is under recorded in collision statistics”
5. lack of awareness of neurological condition due to dementia
“the memory deficit caused by dementia resulted in a lack of awareness of an underlying neurological condition”
6. failure to report combined conditions to DVLA
“neither of the conditions will be reported to the DVLA for monitoring”
Linked reports
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“At present there is no upper legal limit for drivers. Whilst drivers over 70 are required to apply for a new licence every 3 years there is no requirement for there to be any form of medical check to confirm their fitness to drive.”
This report
“A system that relies upon the self-awareness of a person applying for a driving licence to self-report a medical condition of dementia where the condition itself is characterised by a lack of self-awareness is inherently unsafe and exposes other road users to the risk of death or serious injury.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“In such cases there is a substantial risk that neither of the conditions will be reported to the DVLA for monitoring.”
Later report
“(1) The DVLA witnesses confirmed to me that the scheme created by section 94 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 requires that 'licence holders' notify the DVLA if they suffer from a relevant or prospective disability.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“there is a substantial risk that neither of the conditions will be reported to the DVLA for monitoring”
Later report
“I heard evidence in this inquest concerning the requirement of drivers' to self-notify the DVLA of any medical conditions that may interfere with their driving”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“there is a substantial risk that neither of the conditions will be reported to the DVLA for monitoring.”
Later report
“the expectation that drivers would self-report their conditions (which arises as a matter of legislation) was not being followed.”
Responses
2025-0196-Response-from-Department-for-Transport.pdf ↗· Department for Transport
Stated action · 8 May 2025
“The DVLA will continue to work closely with the panel to explore possible options for change to the existing self-declaration system.”