Unravelling ADHD and Driving

ATTENTION Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) significantly affects attentiveness, impulse control, organisational abilities, and time management. Translated into a driving context, these challenges can affect road safety. It's essential to scrutinise symptoms meticulously and make sensible decisions about disclosing your condition to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

UK law stipulates that individuals who hold a driving licence; or those interested in obtaining one are obliged to inform the DVLA about any condition that may affect their driving competence.

Numerous Shades of ADHD - Warning Signs

The effects of ADHD on driving can manifest in different ways, and to varying degrees. Here are some symptoms that might signify difficulties with driving:-

• Difficulty with sustained focus and attention, leading to distractions while driving.
   

• Impulsivity, leading to rash decisions like speed violations or risky overtaking manoeuvres.
   

• Hyperactivity, which could affect the ability to remain still and observant during long drives.
   

• Poor organisational skills and time management, resulting in last minute outings, hasty driving, and potential rule breaking.

Ashton's Law and Implications for ADHD Drivers... UK legislation, Ashton's Law, introduced in 2016, places a moral, medical, and legal imperative on all drivers to declare certain diagnoses to the DVLA. This include:- conditions such as ADHD that can influence driving ability.

Dominic Wyatt stresses:- "It is the individual's responsibility to self declare. If ADHD medical professionals are aware of a patient's symptoms impacting driving, but the patient has not self declared, the doctor can break confidentiality and notify DVLA."

Failure to abide by these laws can lead to fines up to:- £1,000. More severe situations involving:- damage, injury, or loss of life due to undisclosed medical conditions can result in prosecution and imprisonment.

Making Informed Decisions: Disclosure and Self Regulation... While ADHD can present certain challenges, it does not necessarily render individuals incapable of driving. With precautions, people diagnosed with ADHD can lead perfectly normal and unrestricted lives on the roads. Dominic Wyatt suggests crucial steps in evaluating and managing driving with ADHD:-

• Engage with a healthcare professional to gauge the severity of symptoms and their potential impact on driving.
   

• Disclose the situation to the DVLA, if necessary.
   

• Consider professional driving training to understand road rules, safe driving habits, and coping mechanisms for ADHD symptoms.
   

• Conduct regular self-assessment to ensure any heightened symptoms are not impacting your ability to drive safely.

Dominic Wyatt says:- "An ADHD diagnosis may throw a temporary speed bump on your driving journey. Nonetheless, with an understanding of warning signs, adherence to legal disclosure requirements, and compliance with suggested self regulation measures, driving responsibly can be well within reach. Ultimately, your journey is in your hands. Your commitment to safety, honesty in disclosure, and willingness to adapt ensures your drive remains smooth, even with ADHD in the passenger seat."

It is not just ADHD that can land you with a fine of up to £1,000 if you do not tell the DVLA about any 'notifiable' medical conditions that can affect your driving, as you You must tell DVLA if you have any learning disability.  BUT, it is worth adding that You do not need to tell DVLA if you have learning difficulties, for example dyslexia.

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FSB calls for Autumn Statement to include:- commitments to late payments, high streets and the self employed

THE Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has labelled the upcoming Autumn Statement a watershed moment for the Government to cement its commitment to the small business community and cultivate conditions that focus on business recovery.

The UK's largest business group's call comes 1 month before the Chancellor delivers his speech to set the economic agenda for the next year, on:- Wednesday, 22 November 2023.

The timing emphasises the speech's potential to serve as a catalyst for the robust economic recovery and growth that current conditions are failing to achieve, with all sectors from Hospitality to construction firms feeling the pinch.

FSB is calling for the upcoming Autumn Statement to include:-

• The Chancellor should take a strong stand against late payments from the despatch box. Initial announcements at the Conservative Party conference about tackling late payments are welcome, and the Chancellor has a major opportunity to lead from the front.
   

• The SME focussed 75% business rates discount for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure should be extended beyond March 2024, when it is due to expire. These sectors are facing falling revenues as the cost-of-living crisis impacts consumer spending. Many companies have been reluctant to raise prices despite escalating costs, and FSB believes they would struggle to handle an increase in business rates from the current, discounted level.
   

• Training in new skills should be tax deductible for the self employed. Under current HMRC guidelines, expenses can't be claimed for training that expands into new areas of business. This means a 50 year old self employed construction worker looking to pivot his business in favour of a less strenuous job will not qualify. This counterproductive disincentive against acquiring new skills needs to be eliminated to promote lifelong learning among the UK's 4.1 million self employed.
   

• Take action to increase housebuilding through changing the timing of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments and introducing a new Brownfield Development Relief. This will help support small housebuilders, which are key to meeting ambitious housing targets and to economic growth.
   

• Introduce measures to help reduce health related labour market inactivity. FSB supports expanding benefit in kind rules and recommends Government take decisive action to incentivise employers recruiting those who have been out of work for a long time.

FSB Merseyside and Cheshire Area Leader Michael Sandys said:- "This Autumn Statement cannot be business as usual. There's exactly 1 month to go until the Chancellor delivers his speech, and we need focussed action. With inflation barely budging, the Chancellor has a golden opportunity to spur the economic vitality the UK needs. We need clear plans to help small businesses grow. Whether it's a corner shop or a web designer, a hotel, or a car garage, they are all crucial. Small firms were key to helping the economy bounce back in 2008, and to replicate that, we need to face this issue head on. The Government must act swiftly to end late payments, extend business rates relief, and eliminate the perverse disincentive against acquiring new skills. The future of our economy is at stake, and there's no room for half measures."