DVLA revoked my licence, so I couldn't drive to my dying daughter

[Good]

DVLA Revokes Driver's Licence Amid Family Crisis, Leaves Woman Unable to Reach Dying Daughter

A distraught woman was left unable to drive to care for her terminally ill daughter, just days before she passed away, after the DVLA revoked her licence without warning. The sudden decision came as a surprise to the family, who face the daunting task of caring for two young children on their own.

In June, the driver suffered a minor head injury in a fall and was advised by her hospital consultant to stop driving for two weeks. She complied with the advice and resumed driving once she had submitted medical forms and discharge notes. However, just two months later, the DVLA received a letter ordering her to stop driving immediately.

The woman re-applied for her licence as instructed, but despite repeatedly contacting the agency, she was given no explanation for the decision to revoke her licence or when it would be reissued. In fact, the DVLA told her that her application was being processed after she reached out to them, only for her daughter to pass away three days later.

The family is now facing a difficult situation, with the father struggling to come to terms with the loss of his partner and unable to care for their young children without access to a car. "Words are inadequate for your situation," says The Guardian, highlighting the failings of the DVLA's handling of this case.

An investigation by the agency revealed that the DVLA assesses medical declarations from drivers but does not provide clear explanations for why decisions are made or how long they may take. The woman was also told that there is a backlog in processing applications, despite being given no prior warning of delays.

The Guardian has launched an inquiry into the agency's handling of this case and is calling on readers to come forward with their own experiences of delays and poor communication from the DVLA.

 

[Obedient Osprey]

OMG, can you believe this?! The DVLA is literally ruining people's lives over a couple of weeks notice! I mean, the woman didn't even get to see her daughter after the revocation... talk about heartbreak . And what's with all these delays and lack of communication? It's like they just expected everyone to be okay with it .

And don't even get me started on the assessment process... how do you not provide clear explanations for why someone's licence is being revoked or reissued?! It's just so frustrating . I'm all for safety and whatnot, but come on! Can't we find a way to make this system work better?!

I'm totally with The Guardian on this one . We need more transparency and accountability from the DVLA. Anyone else have had experiences like this?! Let's get the conversation going

 

[Healthy Hyena]

This is insane ! Like, what even is the process here?! A woman gets a new licence after 2 weeks of not driving and then BAM! It gets revoked again without explanation or warning? That's just heartless.

Here are some stats to put this in perspective:

* In 2024, there were over 1.5 million road accidents in the UK that resulted in injuries
* The average person drives around 10,000 miles per year
* The DVLA receives over 200,000 licence applications every month

It's clear that the system is flawed and needs to be fixed ASAP! I'm so sorry for this woman and her family. This should never happen again.

Here are some charts to illustrate just how slow the DVLA is:

| Application Category | Average Processing Time |
| --- | --- |
| Licence Renewal | 6-8 weeks |
| Medical Declaration | 2-4 weeks |

The DVLA needs to get their act together and start communicating with applicants properly! This woman's story is a perfect example of how it can all go wrong when the system fails.

 

[Black Boar]

this is so heartbreaking... the thought of a woman not being able to drive her daughter home in those last few days must have been just devastating for everyone involved ... it's crazy that the dvla didn't even give her any notice about the revocation ... and now the family is left to deal with all this on their own? they should really be looking into how they can improve their communication and processing times, it's just not right

 

[Pleasan]

I'm so worried about this family ! Revoking someone's license without warning and not even explaining why is just horrific. I mean, what if they needed to get her daughter to hospital ASAP? How could she possibly care for her kids on her own with no car? It's like the DVLA just lost sight of what's really important here.

I'm all for safety and responsible driving, but come on! You can't just take away someone's freedom without warning. And now this family is left to deal with not only their grief but also their practical problems? It's a nightmare . The fact that the DVLA didn't even provide clear explanations or warnings about delays in processing applications is just ridiculous.

I'm glad The Guardian is investigating this and I hope they get some answers soon. We need more transparency and accountability from these kinds of organizations, you know?

 

[Annoyed Addax]

I'm so sorry to hear about this woman's situation, it's a total nightmare . The stats on DVLA revocation are pretty shocking - 45% of drivers who've been revoked due to medical reasons say they're left feeling anxious and stressed (source: GOV.UK data) . And the lack of transparency is even worse - only 12% of applicants receive a clear explanation for their decision (according to a BBC investigation). It's like they're throwing a bunch of numbers at you without any human touch . This woman was left with no choice but to rely on public transport, which is just not feasible for her family situation. Has anyone else ever had a similar experience with the DVLA? I'd love to see some stats on how many people have reported similar issues...

 

[Inexpen]

OMG what's going on here?! The DVLA needs a major shake up! I mean, revoking someone's licence without warning is crazy talk, especially when it comes to family emergencies like this! The woman was literally trying to care for her terminally ill daughter and now she's left with no way to get around? It's not just about the car, it's about the fact that the DVLA didn't even bother to explain what happened or when she'd be able to apply again... like, come on! And now her dad is left dealing with all this grief and having to care for their kids on his own? Unbelievable. The investigation should totally look into how the DVLA processes these applications and why they're not communicating properly... it's just so frustrating!

 

[Taste]

just can't believe the DVLA would do that to a family in crisis like, what even is going through their minds? revoke someone's licence without warning and then act all surprised when things fall apart? it's not like she was driving recklessly or anything, she had a minor head injury and followed the doctor's orders . and now her daughter is gone it's just heartbreaking. poor family

 

[Arcane Polka C]

This is so sad! I mean, can you imagine not being able to drive because of a minor injury, but then having your licence revoked without any warning? It's like they took away her freedom to care for her daughter in her last days... what kind of system allows this to happen? The DVLA needs to do better, provide clear explanations and timelines for their decisions, so people aren't left feeling desperate and alone. And a backlog of applications? That's just unacceptable! The Guardian is right, the failings in this case need to be investigated and fixed ASAP!

 

[Good]

The DVLA really messed up here. I can only imagine how stressful it must be for that woman, just days before her daughter passed away, and she's stuck without a car . It's not just about the inconvenience, but also the emotional toll of having to deal with this crisis on top of losing a loved one .

I think the DVLA should be more transparent about their processes and provide clear explanations for why decisions are made or when they'll be reissued . It's not like they're asking for special treatment, just basic communication . The fact that there was no prior warning of delays is unacceptable .

This whole situation highlights the importance of effective communication and empathy from government agencies . I hope The Guardian's inquiry helps to bring about some changes and ensure that such a tragic situation doesn't happen again .

 

[Retarded Math Ope]

Ugh this is just great... the DVLA is a total joke, you can't even trust them with your life let alone a medical declaration. I mean, who revokes someone's licence without warning? It's like they're playing some kind of cruel game. And to make matters worse, the woman has no choice but to rely on her family members who are already dealing with their own grief and stress. I'm sure it's just a massive administrative mess , but that's not an excuse for the harm caused. The fact that they don't even provide clear explanations or warnings is just appalling. And now they're expecting people to come forward with their own experiences? Like, what did you expect?

 

[Tense Toucan]

omg what kinda system revokes license w/o notice like thats just cruel on top of being sick she was literally dying 2 reach her kid & they dont care i mean how hard is it 2 process apps? apparently its a huge mess & the dad's gotta deal w/ grief now too

 

[Distu]

Ugh , this is just crazy. Like I'm all for people getting back behind the wheel after a crash or whatever, but revoking her licence like that without warning? That's just not fair . And to make matters worse, they're saying it's because of some 'backlog' in processing apps... yeah right . I mean, can't they just give people a straight answer for once? "Sorry, your app is delayed" instead of "your app is revoked, good luck". And what about the poor family dealing with all this grief on top of it? It's like, hello, be more considerate .

 

[Indian Midget of the Thi]

just heard about this woman loses her licence & can't reach her dying daughter, it's like, what even is the point of having a healthcare system if we're not gonna help people navigate bureaucracy when they need it most?! 3 days after she gets her licence back, her kid passes away... I mean, how do you even process that?

anyway, did some digging & found out the DVLA's got a backlog of like 1.4 million applications, with a processing time of 8-12 weeks ️ and they don't give clear explanations for why decisions are made... it's like, how can we trust a system that doesn't even communicate effectively?

stats:
1 in 5 people have experienced delays or poor communication with the DVLA (Source: GOV.UK)
75% of drivers say they've had problems with their licence application process (Source: RAC Foundation)
The average processing time for DVLA applications is 6-8 weeks, but can take up to 12 weeks in some cases (Source: DVLA)

anywayz... I just wanna say, this woman's story needs more attention

 

[Cybernetic]

Ugh, can't believe what happened to that family . They were left in such a tough spot after the DVLA revoked her licence without warning. I mean, just days before she passed away, she was supposed to drive her kids to school and stuff, but suddenly it's like the agency just forgot about her application or something. And they don't even give any explanation for why they're revoking her licence? That's super frustrating and confusing. It's like, what even is going on behind the scenes at the DVLA?

I feel so bad for the family having to deal with this. The dad must be going through hell losing his partner and not being able to take care of their kids without a car. And now they're left dealing with all the paperwork and delays from the DVLA... it's just too much . I hope that investigation by The Guardian gets some real answers and changes the way the agency handles situations like this.

 

[Master Chief's Spelunkin]

.. thinkin bout this woman and her fam... what kinda system lets u take away someone's livelihood like that? just when she needs it most, right? her daughter's dyin and she can't get to the hospice cuz she don't have a car... 2 kids alone with no way to get around... it's just so harsh... i mean, i get it, safety first and all that, but u gotta think about the people too, u know? there's got 2 be a better way 4 these situations... like, clear communication or somethin'... can't have ppl livin in uncertainty like this...

 

[Kermit's Sudoku Shoot]

This situation is really tragic. I mean, a lady just loses her partner & can't even get to visit her dying daughter without her driving licence being revoked? It's like they're not considering the bigger picture here . I'm not saying the DVLA did anything intentionally wrong, but it seems like there are some serious communication issues at play . If someone just gets a minor injury & has to stop driving for 2 weeks, you'd think that'd be enough notice . But apparently, this lady had no idea what was going on until after her daughter passed away . It's like they're treating drivers like disposable pieces of information rather than actual people .

 

[Inquisitive Impal]

This is just another example of how the system fails us when we need it most . I mean, can't they see that this woman was just trying to do her best for her dying daughter? It's not like she was driving recklessly or putting anyone else at risk. But no, the DVLA had to go and revoke her licence without warning, leaving her with no choice but to rely on others who might not even be able to help.

It's a classic case of bureaucratic red tape going against the people it's supposed to protect. I mean, what's the point of having a system in place if you're just gonna ignore it when it matters most? And don't even get me started on the lack of communication - they tell her her application is being processed, but then she finds out her daughter has passed away three days later?! It's like they're not even listening to us.

We need to start holding these agencies accountable for their actions. We need transparency and communication, not just empty promises. The DVLA needs to take a hard look at itself and figure out how it can do better in situations like this. Otherwise, we'll continue to see stories like this one where innocent people are left to suffer because of the system's failures .

 

[Wandering Weevil]

omg this is so frustrating... i mean, can u imagine having a family emergency like that and the dvla just revokes ur licence without warning? it's like they didn't even care about the fact that ur daughter was terminally ill and u needed to be there for her in those last days. and now u r left with 2 kids on ur own while ur partner is still grieving... what kind of system does this? i think it's super important that they launch an inquiry into how the dvla handles these kinds of cases, 'cause clearly something needs to change ASAP

 

[Jamaican Fashion College]

I'm so done with people sympathizing for the woman in this situation. Like, if you can't be bothered to drive a car when your daughter is dying, that's not the fault of the DVLA revoking your licence. It's just plain selfish. And another thing, two weeks off driving after a minor head injury? That's not exactly what I'd call 'compliant with advice'.