Driving with multiple sclerosis

MS can affect your ability to drive, but help is out there

Driving Mobility is the national charity that co-ordinates a network of ‘fitness to drive’ and equipment assessment centres for people with restricted mobility. Supported in England by the Department for Transport, it’s team of occupational therapists and approved driving instructors assess and recommend adapted controls, vehicles and driving techniques so clients with disabilities can gain or maintain independence.

Driving Mobility assists people with MS on a very regular basis. Here, their healthcare professionals have compiled a brief guide to driving when you have MS.

1. The DVLA and your licence
2. 
   If you have a driving licence, you must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that you have been diagnosed with MS. Using the information you provide, they will assess your fitness to drive and may ask you to have a medical examination or a driving assessment at a Driving Mobility Centre (you can find locations at www.drivingmobility.org.uk)

You may be

• allowed to keep your licence
• given a temporary licence valid for one, two or three years
• given a licence that specifies which adaptations you need to use or
• in extreme cases, told to stop driving

See www.gov.uk/multiple-sclerosis-and-driving for all the information you need regarding your driving licence.

A slight loss of muscle control will not necessarily affect your ability to drive a car, but you need to show sufficient skill to operate car controls safely. If adaptations are advised, these will be specified on your licence, and you will not be allowed to drive a car without them.

Memory, concentration, spatial awareness and clear mental processing of information are also important to drivers. A Driving Mobility assessment can help identify and address any problems.

2. Insurance

You must also tell your insurance company about your condition and about any adaptations you have.

3. A driving assessment
4. 
   If you think you may require adaptations to continue driving, you are strongly advised to book an assessment at your local Driving Mobility Centre. This will give you the opportunity to trial different adaptations that may be suitable for your needs. You are advised not to get your car adapted without first having an assessment.
6. Help from Motability
7. 
   If you receive the higher or enhanced rate mobility component of DLA or PIP, you may be able to use it to lease an adapted car through the Motability scheme (www.motability.co.uk) They may also provide grants for driving lessons.

5. Sativex and driving

In England and Wales, the law states that anyone found with certain drugs in their body while driving can be prosecuted, whether their driving is impaired or not.

The roadside tests the police use to check for drugs can detect very small amounts of the drugs in your system. Unfortunately, this means that if you take Sativex, you may test positive for cannabis. However, if you take Sativex as your health professional prescribes, you can claim a ‘medical defence’ if your driving is not impaired. The Government recommends that if you are taking Sativex, that you carry evidence, such as a letter from the DVLA, a prescription receipt, or a letter from your MS specialist in your car to avoid any problems if you are stopped. If you don’t have the evidence on you, you may have to present it at a later date.

6. Alternatives to driving
7. If driving is not an option or you prefer to use accessible public transport, Driving Mobility offers the Hubs Mobility Advice Service (www.hubsmobilityadvice.com). This free service can provide impartial information and personalised guidance on travel with MS.

“They explained it was an assessment, not a test”

 Sarah Sullivan, 34, from Kilmarnock, has been able to continue driving with MS thanks to expert guidance from Glasgow’s DriveAbility Scotland

Sarah, Mum to 10-year-old Charlotte, came to accept in the summer of 2022 that she was struggling to drive safely. Diagnosed with MS in 2014, she was experiencing mobility difficulties and reduced sensation in her feet – so operating a brake and accelerator pedal was becoming a challenge.

“Things needed to change. So, after speaking to my neurologist, I was signposted towards DriveAbility Scotland. I had an appointment at their centre in October and was assessed by an occupational therapist and approved driving instructor. I was quite apprehensive before my visit, however, they immediately put me at ease by explaining it was not a test, it was an assessment.

“Due to weakness in my legs and arms, it was agreed that I should try driving with a steering wheel under-ring and radial push brake. Well, it felt a bit odd at first but, to be fair, I got my head around using these controls pretty quickly. This meant I could drive without using my legs – amazing!”

Following her assessment and receipt of a written report, Sarah was given the names of recommended vehicle convertors who could adapt her car with the new driving controls. Sarah chose AIC Glasgow to fit the under-ring and radial push brake and within a few weeks she was driving full-time and back ‘being Mum’.

“Being able to drive means we can live a normal life – I can be the ‘Mum taxi’ again. I spend most of my time driving Charlotte around to her friends and various activities, and share the school runs with other parents. I’m absolutely loving it. Using my new adaptations now feels second nature. It took me a bit of time to get totally used to them, and remembering I can’t wave at people, but today I don’t think twice about how to get about.”