Can a paraplegic person over the age of 70 with no leg movement obtain a Cat C licence

Millie Master

Millie Master

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A close friend is thinking of buying a specially modified motorhome for his use after 32+ years as a paraplegic caravanner.

He has no use of his legs or indeed his body from just below his mid chest area and drives a selection of vehicles with special hand controls, in fact he used to have his own business installing hand controls.

My concern is that at the age of 72 and only currently having a Class B licence, will he be able to obtain a Class C required by the weight of the MoHo he is considering buying?
 
Millie Master said:
A close friend is thinking of buying a specially modified motorhome for his use after 32+ years as a paraplegic caravanner.

He has no use of his legs or indeed his body from just below his mid chest area and drives a selection of vehicles with special hand controls, in fact he used to have his own business installing hand controls.

My concern is that at the age of 72 and only currently having a Class B licence, will he be able to obtain a Class C required by the weight of the MoHo he is considering buying?
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I have done a search and cannot find a mention of it, but there is something in the back of my mind telling me that there is an weight allowance to cover the essential items neccessary for a disabled driver to enter and use a vehicle, such as a WAV type of motorhome in your friends case.
I honestly do not know if this is the case or not, but must be some reason that is in my head, so could be worth checking with a motability or WAV conversion specialist who should know for sure. It could be that if that was the case and the weight of an item such as an hydraulic lift (which are blooming heavy!) was discounted, he could use an 'overweight' van on a standard B licence?
 
You should be able to find and read the Forms that need to be filled in for the licence your friend wants. That should tell you if it is feasible or not.

From memory, having passed 2 medicals for the C1, I cannot remember any questions about parraplegic issues. But then, memory is sketchy at my age. :(
 
A very quick search of the 'net turned up this Government page on driving with paraplegia. The form specifically mentions driving buses, coaches and lorries and mentions the form G1V (clicky link) you need to complete and send to DVLA. This form deals with adaptations (among other things), so I suspect that a paraplegic driver would be OK driving a suitably adapted C1 vehicle if they passed their test before 1997. That said, it's something I haven't previously considered, so no guarantees...
 
I know of a chap who has a converted Scania tractor unit that is customised that he takes to shows , he lost use of legs after being knocked off the top of a load by a forklift when working for his fathers transport firm IIRC .
 
I think you may find it difficult to arrange for lessons and a test as from my reading the test has to be in a vehicle with a tachograph etc.
You also need a driver who has passed their C test to accompany a learner driver and NOT someone who only has 'Grandfather' rights due to the time they took their driving test.
 
Glass man said:
I think you may find it difficult to arrange for lessons and a test as from my reading the test has to be in a vehicle with a tachograph etc.
You also need a driver who has passed their C test to accompany a learner driver and NOT someone who only has 'Grandfather' rights due to the time they took their driving test.
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From the OP, the person has been a caravanner for 32+ years and hence passed their test no later than 1989 and hence has 'grandfather rights'. When I asked DVLA about restoring 'grandfather rights' if allowed to lapse, they told me my entitlement would be recorded on their system and I just need to apply enclosing a D4 medical report. Hopefully, that's still the case and the person just needs to send their application, together with the required forms.
 
GeoffL said:
From the OP, the person has been a caravanner for 32+ years and hence passed their test no later than 1989 and hence has 'grandfather rights'. When I asked DVLA about restoring 'grandfather rights' if allowed to lapse, they told me my entitlement would be recorded on their system and I just need to apply enclosing a D4 medical report. Hopefully, that's still the case and the person just needs to send their application, together with the required forms.
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that is useful to know. I did wonder that if you allowed the C1 & D1 to lapse, whether you could get them back without a test.
 
It is illegal to discriminate on the grounds of disability, (amongst other things). Since whatever year the Act came into force your friends licence should have changed to ‘standard’ groups but with suitable adaptations. As such if they passed their test before C1 was removed they should have had C1. Unless of course there are other things apart from paraplegia, diabetes with insulin removed C1 from my wife’s license.
It may be worth speaking with one of the WAV conversion people or contact Mobilise which used to be Disabled Drivers magazine.
 
I agree the best thing to do before making a decision is to speak to those who deal with these issues such as a WAV convertor or DVLA. If the C1 has lapsed, as it does after 70 unless you have a medical, then to reinstate C1 will require quite an extensive medical assessment, if I read the licence application correctly. And the decision will depend on the facts of the case and the kind of vehicle and adaptations to be driven.

If it's possible to get a vehicle coming in at less than 3.5T that would simplify matters. But get some reliable advice first.
 
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