The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1987

Disabilities

24.—(1) The following disabilities are prescribed for the purposes of section 87(1) of the 1972 Act—

(a) epilepsy;

(b) severe mental handicap;

(c) liability to sudden attacks of disabling giddiness or fainting, other than such attacks falling within paragraph (1)(d);

(d) liability to sudden attacks of disabling giddiness or fainting which are caused by any disorder or defect of the heart as a result of which the applicant for the licence or, as the case may be, the holder of the licence has a device implanted in his body, being a device which, by operating on the heart so as to regulate its action, is designed to correct the disorder or defect; and

(e) inability to read in good daylight (with the aid of glasses or contact lenses if worn) a registration mark fixed to a motor vehicle and containing letters and figures 79.4 millimetres high at a distance of—

(i) 20.5 metres, in any case except that mentioned below; or

(ii) 12.3 metres, in the case of an applicant for a licence authorising the driving of vehicles of a class included in group K only.

(2) Epilepsy is prescribed for the purposes of section 87(3)(b) of the 1972 Act and an applicant for a licence suffering from epilepsy shall satisfy the conditions that—

(a) he shall have been free from any epileptic attack during the period of two years immediately preceding the date when the licence is to have effect; or

(b) in the case of an applicant who has had such attacks whilst asleep during that period, he shall have had such attacks only whilst asleep during a period of at least three years immediately preceding the date when the licence is to have effect; and

(c) the driving of a vehicle by him in pursuance of the licence is not likely to be a source of danger to the public.

(3) The disability prescribed in paragraph (1)(d) is prescribed for the purpose of section 87(3)(b) of the 1972 Act and an applicant for a licence suffering from that disability shall satisfy the conditions that—

(a) the driving of a vehicle by him in pursuance of the licence is not likely to be a source of danger to the public; and

(b) he has made adequate arrangements to receive regular medical supervision by a cardiologist (being a supervision to be continued throughout the period of the licence) and is conforming to those arrangements.

(4) The following disability is prescribed for the purposes of paragraphs (a) and (c) of section 87(3) of the 1972 Act namely, a disability which is not progressive in nature and which consists solely of any one or more of the following:—

(a) the absence of one or more limbs;

(b) the deformity of one or more limbs; and

(c) the loss of use of one or more limbs.

(5) The disability prescribed in paragraph (1)(e) is prescribed for the purposes of section 87A(2)(b) of the 1972 Act.

(6) (a) In paragraph (1)(b), the expression “severe mental handicap” means a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning.

(b) In paragraph (3)(b), the expression “cardiologist” means a registered medical practitioner who specialises in disorders or defects of the heart and who, in that connection, holds a hospital appointment.

(c) In paragraph (4), references to a limb include references to a part of a limb, and the reference to loss of use, in relation to a limb, includes a reference to a deficiency of limb movement or power.