Part IIIU.K. Licensing of drivers of vehicles

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

Physical fitnessE+W+S

92 Requirements as to physical fitness of drivers.E+W+S

(1)An application for the grant of a licence must include a declaration by the applicant, in such form as the Secretary of State may require, stating whether he is suffering or has at any time (or, if a period is prescribed for the purposes of this subsection, has during that period) suffered from any relevant disability or any prospective disability.

(2)In this Part of this Act—

  • “disability” includes disease,

  • “relevant disability” in relation to any person means—

(a)any prescribed disability, and

(b)any other disability likely to cause the driving of a vehicle by him in pursuance of a licence to be a source of danger to the public, and

  • “prospective disability” in relation to any person means any other disability which—

(a)at the time of the application for the grant of a licence or, as the case may be, the material time for the purposes of the provision in which the expression is used, is not of such a kind that it is a relevant disability, but

(b)by virtue of the intermittent or progressive nature of the disability or otherwise, may become a relevant disability in course of time.

(3)If it appears from the applicant’s declaration, or if on inquiry the Secretary of State is satisfied from other information, that the applicant is suffering from a relevant disability, the Secretary of State must, subject to the following provisions of this section, refuse to grant the licence.

(4)The Secretary of State must not by virtue of subsection (3) above refuse to grant a licence—

(a)on account of any relevant disability which is prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph, if the applicant has at any time passed a relevant test and it does not appear to the Secretary of State that the disability has arisen or become more acute since that time or was, for whatever reason, not disclosed to the Secretary of State at that time,

(b)on account of any relevant disability which is prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph, if the applicant satisfies such conditions as may be prescribed with a view to authorising the grant of a licence to a person in whose case the disability is appropriately controlled,

(c)on account of any relevant disability which is prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph, if the application is for a provisional licence.

(5)Where as a result of a test of competence to drive [F1or of information obtained under the relevant powers]the Secretary of State is satisfied that the person who took the test [F1or in relation to whom the information was obtained]is suffering from a disability such that there is likely to be a danger to the public—

(a)if he drives any vehicle, or

(b)if he drives a vehicle other than a vehicle of a particular [F2class],

the Secretary of State must serve notice in writing to that effect on that person and must include in the notice a description of the disability.

(6)Where a notice is served in pursuance of subsection (5)(a) above, then—

(a)if the disability is not prescribed under subsection (2) above, it shall be deemed to be so prescribed in relation to the person who took the test, and

(b)if the disability is prescribed for the purposes of subsection (4)(c) above it shall be deemed not to be so prescribed in relation to him.

(7)Where a notice is served in pursuance of subsection (5)(b) above, any licence granted to the person who took the test shall be limited to vehicles of the particular [F3class]specified in the notice [F4and, if the Secretary of State so directs in the notice, his entitlement to drive other classes of vehicles by virtue of section 98(2) of this Act shall be limited as specified in the notice].

[F5(7A)If he considers it appropriate to do so the Secretary of State may, after serving a notice in pursuance of subsection (5)(a) above, serve a notice in pursuance of subsection (5)(b) above or, after serving a notice in pursuance of subsection (5)(b) above, serve a notice in pursuance of subsection (5)(a) above or a further notice in pursuance of subsection (5)(b) above; and on his serving a further notice under any of those provisions the notice previously served shall cease to have effect and any limited licence previously granted shall be revoked by the subsequent notice.

(7B)In subsection (5) above the references to a test of competence to drive and to information obtained under the relevant power are references respectively to a test of competence prescribed for the purposes of section 89 or so much of such a test as is required to be taken in pursuance of section 94(5)(c) of this Act and to information obtained in pursuance of section 94(5)(a) or (b) of this Act.

(7C)A person whose licence is revoked by virtue of subsection (7A) above must deliver the licence [F6and its counterpart]to the Secretary of State forthwith after the revocation and a person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to do so is guilty of an offence.]

(8)In this section “relevant test”, in relation to an application for a licence, means any such test of competence as is mentioned in section 89 of this Act or a test as to fitness or ability in pursuance of section 100 of the M1Road Traffic Act 1960 as originally enacted, being a test authorising the grant of a licence in respect of vehicles of the classes to which the application relates.

(9)Without prejudice to subsection (8) above, for the purposes of subsection (4)(a) above—

(a)an applicant shall be treated as having passed a relevant test if, and on the day on which, he has passed a test of competence to drive which, under a provision of a relevant external law corresponding to subsections (3) and (4) or (6) and (7) of section 89 of this Act, either is prescribed in relation to vehicles of the classes to which the application relates or is sufficient under that law for the granting of a licence authorising the driving of vehicles of those classes, and

[F7(a)an applicant shall be treated as having passed a relevant test if, and on the day on which, he passed a test of competence to drive which—

(i)under a provision of the law of Northern Ireland or a relevant external law corresponding to subsections (3) and (4) or (6) of section 89 of this Act, either is prescribed in relation to vehicles of classes corresponding to the classes to which the application relates or is sufficient under that law for the granting of a licence authorising the driving of vehicles of those classes, or

(ii)is sufficient for the granting of a British Forces licence authorising the driving of vehicles of those classes, and]

(b)in the case of an applicant who is treated as having passed a relevant test by virtue of paragraph (a) above, disclosure of a disability to [F8the authority having power under the relevant external law to grant a licence to drive a motor vehicle][F8his licensing authority]shall be treated as disclosure to the Secretary of State.

[F9In this subsection “relevant external law” has the meaning given by section 89(2) of this Act.]

Textual Amendments

F7S. 92(9)(a) with subparagraphs (i) and (ii) substituted (1.4.1991) for para. (a) without subparagraphs by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 5(5)(a)

F8Words “his licensing authority" substituted (1.4.1991) for words commencing “the authority" by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 5(5)(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

Marginal Citations