What Happens If I Drive with a Medical Condition Without Permission and Have an Accident?

Driving with certain medical conditions may prohibit us from obtaining or renewing a driving licence, even if we have passed the initial psychotechnical test.

In fact, those affected must present a favourable medical report to do so. Otherwise, the centre responsible for conducting the physical examination for drivers will not be able to process the licence. Additionally, driving without this approval could result in fines of up to 6,000 euros, as insurance will not cover us in the event of an accident.

It is mandatory to have car insurance, whether third-party or comprehensive, to drive. However, there are doubts about whether the vehicle insurance covers damages we may cause if we drive when we shouldn't due to being diagnosed with one of the aforementioned conditions.

Experts from Cleverea explain that if a driver with comprehensive insurance suffers an accident while under medical treatment, affected by any of the mentioned conditions, without medical permission to drive again, or under the influence of medications incompatible with driving (as per medical prescription), the insurance will not cover the driver's expenses (such as hospital bills) or the repairs of their own car; these will have to be paid by the insured themselves.

In any case, third-party liability is always guaranteed. This means that the insurer of the vehicle that caused the accident, even if the driver should not have been driving, will cover the material and personal expenses of the other vehicle involved (third parties). However, they could later legally claim reimbursement of the expenses from the insured if it is proven that the accident was caused by an excluded reason, such as not having permission to drive due to one of the mentioned conditions. They could also claim interest and legal costs.

Moreover, besides the insurance not covering us, driving with any of the previously mentioned conditions when we shouldn't, due to lack of permission, could result in a fine of up to 6,000 euros.

Javier Bosch, CEO of Cleverea, comments that "driving with certain conditions can be very dangerous, not only for us but also for others. We risk not only our health but also our finances, as agents could impose fines of up to 6,000 euros, and our insurance might not cover us in case of an accident. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to the medication leaflets we are taking and follow our doctor's instructions if we suffer from any illness."

According to the General Driver Regulations, hearing impairments (reduction in hearing acuity), with or without a hearing aid, of more than 45% combined loss between both ears, obtained through a tonal audiometry, will prevent us from obtaining or renewing our driving licence.

Vision is the most important sensory system in driving; in fact, 90% of the information we receive while driving is through our eyes. And, although according to Cleverea's data, half of Spanish drivers have some type of visual problem, according to current regulations, visual acuity must be, if necessary with corrective lenses, a minimum of 0.5 to obtain a driving licence. It should be noted that with 0.4 visual acuity, the risk of accidents triples.

Additionally, if we undergo refractive surgery, we must wait a month before driving again, and after that time, a favourable report must be requested at the centre where we had the procedure to obtain or extend the driving licence for one year. After that time, we must return to the recognition centre with our ophthalmologist's report on our current visual situation to determine the subsequent validity period. By the way, if we visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist and our pupil is dilated during an examination, we should not drive until our specialist advises us, which is usually between two and four hours.

If a pacemaker has been implanted, we cannot drive or renew the licence until two weeks after the operation. If an automatic defibrillator is implanted, we must also wait two weeks for primary prevention and three months (without discharges or recurrences) for secondary prevention. After an acute coronary syndrome (conditions associated with a stop or reduction of blood flow to the heart), including myocardial infarction or heart attack and unstable angina, we must wait three weeks before driving again.

In the last cases of heart failure, arrhythmia, or if we have had a heart transplant, driving is allowed as long as there are no symptoms at rest and it is not dangerous for us to drive. In all mentioned cases, a favourable report from our cardiologist is always required to drive again.

This section includes all types of disorders and pathologies related to blood, such as anaemia, which can cause symptoms like dizziness, tachycardia, fatigue, drowsiness, sweating, and exertional dyspnoea, potentially even leading to loss of consciousness. Although there are many types of anaemia and in mild cases it does not affect driving, in others, the medical report will determine the time we cannot drive or renew the driving licence, which can be up to a year or more. In other blood-related pathologies such as haemochromatosis or myeloproliferative disorders, the specialist will determine the time we cannot drive, depending on the state of the disease.

In general, to drive or renew the licence, it is not allowed for those whose treatment or manifestations may endanger vehicle driving. As for patients undergoing dialysis programs, a favourable report from a nephrologist will be required. In the case of those undergoing kidney transplantation, at least six months must pass without problems derived from the operation, and a favourable report from a nephrologist is also required to drive again.

There should be no pulmonary, pleural, diaphragmatic, and mediastinal disorders that determine the inability to drive. As for those affected by sleep apnea syndrome, a favourable report from a Sleep Unit will be required to obtain or extend the driving licence for a maximum validity period of two years.

The most typical is diabetes. Those requiring insulin treatment must provide a report from a specialist (endocrinologist or diabetologist) certifying adequate disease control. The validity period will be, at most, four years.

In cases of hypoglycaemia, there should be no repeated episodes of acute hypoglycaemia or metabolic alterations that result in loss of consciousness in the last year. For thyroid and parathyroid diseases when they do not cause increased excitability or muscle weakness that prevents driving. Finally, in the case of adrenal diseases, the licence's validity period will be a maximum of two years. In all cases, a favourable medical report is always required to drive or renew the licence.

This section includes conditions such as epilepsy, balance disorders, neuromuscular problems, or cerebrovascular disorders, which can cause loss or severe reduction of motor functions, syncopal episodes, tremors, or spasms that produce wide movements of the head, trunk, or limbs that prevent vehicle control. Again, a favourable report from a specialist is required to drive, and the maximum validity of the licence will be five years.

In this case, the physician will determine if driving is possible, and the normal validity period of the licence is usually one year. It includes conditions such as delirium, dementia, amnesic and cognitive disorders, schizophrenia, mood disorders, dissociative, personality, or sleep disorders.

If we have any physical anomaly or our height prevents us from adopting a safe driving position or does not allow adequate visibility for the driver, we will not be able to drive.

These ailments may be incompatible with driving or require favourable medical reports and shorter renewal periods due to the risk they pose to road safety, both for the driver and other road users.