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Driving!! :)

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G

G3m

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi everyone,

I was talking to one of my friends and he is disabled and now is driving at the age of 16. I was wondering whether I am allowed to start learning to drive as I am also 16 or I am only allowed to get a provisional drivers licence.

Any information would be helpful
Thanks 🙂
 
Hi G3m- I thought you had to be 17 to learn to drive?- my son -type 1 started learning at 17.We had to get the back up from the team to say he was well controlled etc- welcome to the forum by the way
 
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Hi G3m, welcome to the forum 🙂 I guess it would depend on what your friend's disability is as to whether they would get a concession to drive at a younger age. Diabetes wouldn't qualify, or at least I can't imagine it would, as they seem more likely to place restrictions on people with diabetes rather than give concessions (3 year license, rules about good control, hypos etc.)

I think you'll probably have to wait another year. Have you been diagnosed long?
 
Thanks for the help, it was just very hard to find information about it online!!
And thanks good to be here 🙂
 
If it's a 3 wheeler, I think you can probably still drive them at 16 on a restricted licence?

You certainly used to be able to, when we were that age one of my friend's boyfriends, whose dad owned a garage, didn't have a motorbike or scooter like most of his mates but went straight on to an Isetta 4 seater bubble car. Consequently, he actually booked his car test for his 17th birthday and passed.
 
Hi G3m . I was very keen on passing my test. bought my first car & passed my test 3 weeks of my 17 birthday 😱 To drive you have to be 17 on the roads. Good luck with your test 🙂 Welcome
 
There is (or used to be; I haven't checked for a while) special rule for teenagers in receipt of Higher Rate Mobility component of Disability Living Allowance to get a provisional driving licence at age 16 years instead of usual 17 years.
 
Hi G3m
My friend got her driving licence at 16, at the time you had to be eligible for disability payments (was DLA, now I think it's PIP). It's intended for people who are physically disabled to an extent where the ability to drive is a key part of independence. She has muscular dystrophy so qualified for an early licence, but another friend with MS didn't qualify for an early licence because she was at that point not having enough difficulty getting around. There's a brief mention on the DVLA website here https://www.gov.uk/current-medical-guidelines-dvla-guidance-for-professionals-appendix-1-disabled-drivers
Good luck!
 
Thank you all so much! It has been a great help cause i knew i would get help, thank you again 🙂
 
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