DVLA Taking too long.

[Half-Dead]

Hello,

 

I am a 25 year old male from England. Having just received my latest letter from the DVLA I can honestly say I am furious to say the least. :-x

 

Anyway...

 

I am a provisional license holder who has been taking driving lessons for the best part of 2 years. I have lost count of the amount of lessons that I have had already and that is probably a good thing lol. To help me through this I have decided to go out and buy a car to get some extra practice due to the rising cost of driving lessons etc. I was all ready to get a car until I went to the opticians for a routine eye examination.

 

My problems started on 14/1/2013 when I went to Specsavers. When looking in my drawer a month previous I came across an old letter from my last hospital check up which said "examination of the Fundi was difficult on the right disc due to Nystagmus but the left disc looked fine." - It also said that I have "good occular eye movements".

 

I thought nothing of the letter until i went to Specsavers then I suddenly asked what is a Nystagmus? she explained what it was and I (probably stupidly) told her about the letter. Her reply was that I needed to declare this to the DVLA as it is classed by them as a Notifiable condition - which meant that I could be fined and my insurance void if I didn't. Thinking this was going to be just a quick - Yeah your fine sort of job I printed off a V1 form and sent it in the post.

 

I received a reply on 26/1/2013 saying they have written to my doctor for more information. This was disappointing to say the least as I am still waiting to get my little car to finish my learning. I immediately made an appointment with my doctor to hopefully speed things up. While I was at the doctors surgery she said a letter from DVLA has come through and that it will be replied to now (presumably by other staff at the NHS).

 

On 16/2/2013 (exactly three weeks later) I telephoned the DVLA to find out what was happening. Someone on the phone said that the DVLA have received my doctors letter and that they will send me a letter soon.

 

Today being 25/2/2013 I received a reply from the DVLA!! This time it says that "we have now received medical information which has now been passed to the medical advisor for further advice. This could take up to 8 weeks"

 

 

 

The thing is I don't want to wait another 2 months. If I did it would defeat the whole object and slow my driving down. Judging by what has been said online about the DVLA I don't expect it will be 8 weeks, I expect 2 months just for them to say I need another appointment, then a further few weeks to make it and more time after just to make the decision about my fitness to drive - Even though I meet the legal requirements after all.

 

Is there anything I can do to speed this stupid process up?

 

Can I still take my practical driving test while waiting for the DVLA to make their decision? (I am obviously a provisional license holder)

 

Additional notes:

 

I have worn eyeglasses for a while now to correct short shortsightedness and have no other eye problems or serious illnesses. I can read a number plate from 20 - 25 meters away without a problem.

 

My friend has congenital Nystagmus and cannot see his computer screen without being really close up. I am not like that and was unaware I even had this silly Nystagmus thing! lol.

 

If you have probably sensed my frustration in this post I apologize as the last letter has only just come about an hour ago. - Thankyou in advance for your replies!

Edited February 25, 2013 by Half-Dead

[crem]

The only test that will be carried out by the driving examiner will be your ability to read a standard number plate from 20metres. Can you do so easily?

 

If you can, then I see no reason for you to cease your driving practice and take your test if necessary whilst waiting for a letter from the DVLA. I am of course presuming that the original DVLA letter didn't specifically advise you not to drive pending their review.

[Half-Dead]

Thanks for your reply.

 

No, my license has not been revoked nor I have been asked not to drive. I meet the legal requirements but I am just a bit apprehensive about getting a car until this is sorted. From reading other peoples horror stories about their experiences with the DVLA it seems to me that they refuse and revoke licenses for silly little things and it appears to have taken them 6-12 months to get the bloody thing back.

 

They have everything they need from the opticians and doctors - 2 months to make a decision to me seems unacceptable. Especially when there is nothing seriously wrong with my eyes.

[crem]

Back on the learning to drive bit.. you say you have had many lessons over the course of 2 years and still not at test standard. What do you feel is contributing to this? Are you not getting on well with your instructor? or perhaps the instructor's technique isn't matching with your learning pattern?

 

As an instructor myself I can tell you that as good as we all try to be at teaching, sometimes it's simply true that a pupil needs a different type of teaching "style" than your current instructor is offering. I have regular experience of this being true in that I have picked up new pupils who couldn't "get along" with their old instructor, but equally, I have had to let pupils go who didn't like my style either. It's the nature of our job that we can't please all of the people all of the time!

[LeicaUser]

You're lucky. As a diabetic I applied for a renewal of my 3-year licence late in 2011. I received a letter giving me permission to carry on driving. Endless delays, some obviously for medical confirmation. Still able to drive, but not able to hire a car in Germany for example, as I did not have a licence to show. Rang them two weeks ago (16 months after applying), and they are only as far as November 2012 with the work, so 'It will be some time.' Then told that my permission to drive expired 12 months after initial permission, didn't you see the letter? I'd been driving illegally for four months. No letter received to ask for renewal. Found the original letter, it was point 4 out of 7 saying that I am allowed to continue to drive if: '... your application is valid and was made less than a year ago.' Not exactly obvious (last two lines of the letter and Yours Sincerely - capital S, which it shouldn't be), were on the other side. Sold the car now, fortunately I hadn't had an accident of any kind and I needed to get rid/change it anyway as the MOT was due and it would be expensive. In fact my last accident was in 1992, I have never had a penalty point since I started driving in 1975, my insurance had just gone down from £36 monthly to £22 monthly (approx), and I have not had a hypo while driving since 1992. When I saw the doctor last year for the medical report, neither of us could understand some of the questions, and she shook her head and said, "The DVLA are ****" - never heard a doctor utter that word in front of a patient before! Part of the problem is new EU rules, another part is that their staff have been seriously cut, but it's still frustrating. I am a polite, though not slow, driver, and always try to do three nice things on each drive, letting someone cross the road (without delaying traffic behind) etc. Compared to some of the idiots I see who clip the kerb, don't signal, brake sharply at junctions, etc., I am a saint! As I say, frustrating.

[LeicaUser]

A bit of advice. If you ring them don't get angry. A close friend who worked in the Civil Service for nearly 40 years said that if anyone was stroppy and angry on the 'phone the case is moved to the bottom of the pile. He seemed to be proud of that - he said it serves them right!!!