DVLA pain

Rogerlathbury

Rogerlathbury

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Ok so I'm 68 and diabetic (insulin dependent) which I declared to the DVLA 4 or 5 years ago, losing my c1 category. Now we have decided with would like a 3500+ kg MH. So got the forms, had the medical, doc and optician filled the relative parts. The doc and optician said in there experience there was no reason why my c1 would not be reinstated. Had the forms back 3 weeks later saying the doc had missed a section (not the DVLA's fault), got the missing section filled in and sent back. Then 3 weeks later had another form come for me to fill in, different to the first ones but containing pretty much the same information. THEN 3 weeks again......this morning another letter saying need a further medical. Phoned the DVLA and they would only say this is part of the process!!!
So here we are, nearly 3 months on, another medical and yet a other wait, then maybe (or not) my c1 licence will be reinstated. Lastly i will have to go through this again in 2 years when i hit 70.
Frustrated and a bit p..d off.
Anyone else had similar?
 
I was a late diagnosed Type 1 diabetic so lost my C1 category many years ago, in the past 30+ years I have been using insulin I have had a total of 3 hypos, all of them whilst in hospital waiting for either A&E or an operation. I have tried 3 times to get my C1 category back and have had it refused 3 times with no explanation. Speaking with my diabetic consultant about it he told me that in all the years he has been sending the forms to DVLA he has had probably less than 5% of applications approved by DVLA and he has tried on countless occasions to get a valid reason out of the DVLA medical team and has never had a response.
 
Ahh!. The Swansea Home for the mentally deficient strike again!. That place is completely Unfit for purpose.
 
Rogerlathbury said:
Ok so I'm 68 and diabetic (insulin dependent) which I declared to the DVLA 4 or 5 years ago, losing my c1 category. Now we have decided with would like a 3500+ kg MH. So got the forms, had the medical, doc and optician filled the relative parts. The doc and optician said in there experience there was no reason why my c1 would not be reinstated. Had the forms back 3 weeks later saying the doc had missed a section (not the DVLA's fault), got the missing section filled in and sent back. Then 3 weeks later had another form come for me to fill in, different to the first ones but containing pretty much the same information. THEN 3 weeks again......this morning another letter saying need a further medical. Phoned the DVLA and they would only say this is part of the process!!!
So here we are, nearly 3 months on, another medical and yet a other wait, then maybe (or not) my c1 licence will be reinstated. Lastly i will have to go through this again in 2 years when i hit 70.
Frustrated and a bit p..d off.
Anyone else had similar?
Click to expand...
Any chance of your wife driving your motorhome?
 
SteveJ said:
I was a late diagnosed Type 1 diabetic so lost my C1 category many years ago, in the past 30+ years I have been using insulin I have had a total of 3 hypos, all of them whilst in hospital waiting for either A&E or an operation. I have tried 3 times to get my C1 category back and have had it refused 3 times with no explanation. Speaking with my diabetic consultant about it he told me that in all the years he has been sending the forms to DVLA he has had probably less than 5% of applications approved by DVLA and he has tried on countless occasions to get a valid reason out of the DVLA medical team and has never had a response.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have the feeling that for some reason there is a dislike or even worse against diabetics. I know of someone was prosecuted for drink driving (twice) and for dangerous driving, one submitted form and got his licence back.

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chaser said:
Just meant if you can't get a licence but wife has one and you need a bigger van can't she drive it.
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Hi.
If you go abroad,you will still be sat in the RHD position... Win win. As chaser puts it. Half a loaf is better than non. Who knows,in the fullness of time,you could get your licence re-instated.Result.
Tea Bag
 
What about this one then. A friend who lives in France has held a C1 licence for all his driving life and also until he was 70 a HGV (artic) licence.
He is now 76 and the dvla have revoked his C1 category. Because, he has one eye. He lost his eye in a shooting accident when he was 16.
His licence was renewed when he turned 70 again when 73 and now 76 the “ wise “ people at the dvla have said they made a mistake and he should not have been allowed the C1 after the age of 70.
There has been no deterioration to his eye sight from the last test according to the optician and he has undergone a more extensive test of which he has been passed as ok.
After months of trying to persuade them he got his solicitor involved as he has a year old Kon Tiki tag motorhome stuck in France an is not allowed to drive in back to the UK.
Guess what, no not a C1 licence but the solicitor got his costs and a cheque to cover the cost of repatriating the motorhome !
Luckily his wife has her C1 so they will be able to get it back and have a little towards the loss on the sale of the motorhome without having to employ a driver.
I did say when we spoke last, why not let Mary drive it for you, his answer was, you know she only has one position for the accelerator and that’s flat on the floor and in France we’ed be bankrupt in a month with speeding fines.
BernieT

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dipsie said:
one position for the accelerator and that’s flat on the floor
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Hi.
Now.... THATS a girl after my own heart..."Put the pedal to the metal..Keep the Revs..TOP OF THE GREEN !! Kick her down a gear at 1900 Revs, up banks " Wind the window down and shout..."Commin' THROUGH !! Ready or not !!" If its a big mill V8 (Think Scania ) keep the window down and listen to the sound track,makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up....Win,win.
Tea Bag
 
My wife gave up her C at 70 but retained her C1 on the basis we were not going HGV again and she could not be arsed with the annual D4. After 2 years we got a new HGV van so she applied for it to be reinstated. All the issues that had created a convoluted but in the end satisfactory process to get her C were again reinvestigated as though they had never done it before. Again she got her C back. I suspect they have a perhaps expected cautious approach to applications for reinstatement so good luck.

Michael
 
Isn’t the whole thing madness

how less dangerous is an out of control 3.8ton or 3.5ton? I know some of us have bigger MH’s but that just confirms the nonsense of the law

is 3.5ton much difference to 5.5ton?

I feel for the OP and all others bogged down by jobs worth’s ?
 
DavidG58 said:
Isn’t the whole thing madness

how less dangerous is an out of control 3.8ton or 3.5ton? I know some of us have bigger MH’s but that just confirms the nonsense of the law

is 3.5ton much difference to 5.5ton?

I feel for the OP and all others bogged down by jobs worth’s ?
Click to expand...
The issue is there has to be a line drawn and whatever that is the manufacturers will always try to squeeze a quart into a pint pot (this will be a legal statement when Boris gets back in) to create a USP for their van and hence pushing the limit, whatever it is. And we must not forget the owners who always want to add another bike, scooter, washing machine whatever.
 
DavidG58 said:
Isn’t the whole thing madness

how less dangerous is an out of control 3.8ton or 3.5ton? I know some of us have bigger MH’s but that just confirms the nonsense of the law

is 3.5ton much difference to 5.5ton?

I feel for the OP and all others bogged down by jobs worth’s ?
Click to expand...

YES!. Absolutely Bonkers. The UK is so bound up in it`s Bureaucracy. All designed to keep bums polishing shiny seats. Virtually 100% of current motorhome Chassis are down rated from at least 3800Kg, JUST to conform with the 3.5t limit on B/B1. a 4t or even 5t limit on B/B1. would not make even a finite difference to any "safety" consideration. But would ease a burden for thousands of us who have the Indignity of frequent re-examination, JUST because of rank AGEISM.

There is no proof, that at 69years and 364days, your are any less fit or capable than at 70years and one day!.

BTW, In the USA, I can drive my 9t plus R-V on a UK B licence. I only have a Texas licence, (no AGEIST medical over 70). to reduce the Insurance!. THAT is common sense!.

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DavidG58 said:
Isn’t the whole thing madness

how less dangerous is an out of control 3.8ton or 3.5ton? I know some of us have bigger MH’s but that just confirms the nonsense of the law

is 3.5ton much difference to 5.5ton?

I feel for the OP and all others bogged down by jobs worth’s ?
[/QUOT

I would be interested to know when these so called laws were drawn up and the criteria for setting them,clearly, today’s vehicles with highly engineered running gear etc are immensely superior to anything that was on the road in the days god knows when that these requirements were set.
Click to expand...
 
My friend in France has now decided that when they bring the Kon Tiki home and sell it they will replace it with a decent 4 X 4 and a twin axle ( 8 ft ) caravan. And be legal !
Now what is safest, a tag axle motor home or a ‘ wobble box ‘ hanging on the back of four wheels ?
I suggested he sends the dvla photo’s of the before and after just to show how stupid the law is regarding licences.

BernieT
 

I cannot definitively quote. But some years ago. I was told, that it comes about due to a FRENCH law that limits drivers from driving anything over 3.5t?. Without taking an expensive Extra Licence?. And became adopted across the EU as a Result?.
 

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