United Kingdom
Part 1: Driving with a Disability
Are there any laws or regulations in your country that restrict whether people with disabilities can obtain a driving licence?
Yes, The Road Traffic Act 1988 - Section 92 The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 regulation – Regulation 71 -73 EU DIRECTIVE 2006/126/EC Annex III Guidance - Assessing fitness to drive: a guide for medical professionals.
A fitness to drive guide can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/assessing-fitness-to-drive-a-guide-for-medical-professionals
Are there any restrictions on the type of vehicle or adaptation to controls that can be driven by a person with a disability?
Restrictions may be based on self-declaration or on occupational health advice following a driving assessment. Adaptations or controls may be annotated on a drivinglicence as these are necessary to allow someone to safely control a vehicle.
If you have answered yes to Question 4 above, do the same restrictions apply to a person with a disability visiting your country in their own or a rented vehicle? Please give details
Yes, the adaptations required to drive safely will be printed on the drivers licence. Restrictions may be based on self declaration or on occupational health advice following a driving assessment. Adaptations or controls may be annotated on a driving licence as these are necessary to allow someone to safely control a vehicle. Examples are, automatic transmission and hand controls.
Further information on adaptations to vehicles can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-codes
Please give details of the section responsible in your Ministry for driver licensing and vehicle adaptations for people with disabilities. Please also include any websites which give details of the official national policy.
Name of Department/Ministry: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
Name of section responsible: Drivers' Medical
Phone number for queries: 0300 790 6806
website (s) For information on driving and medical issues visit https://www.gov.uk/contact-the-dvla/y/driving-andmedical-issues
Part 2: Parking Cards for people with a disability
Does your country have a national scheme of parking concessions for people with a disability?
Yes
Which categories of people with a disability are eligible for the parking card?
Wheelchair users
Walking difficulty
Vision impairment
Mental health issues
Learning disability
Hidden disabilities
Are there parking spaces reserved for people with a disability?
Yes
If you have answered yes, where are the reserved parking spaces?
On street
What concessions does the parking card give people with a disability?
Free parking on street.
But note that for England , this does not fully apply in the Cities of London and Westminster, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and part of the London Borough of Camden.
Although badge holders are not allowed to park on yellow lines during controlled hours in these central London areas, each of the four authorities does have parking bays reserved for use by badge holders. Information on where these bays are located can be found by contacting the relevant authority.
Northern Ireland: on a double yellow line for up to 3 hours
Are there any regions or cities in your country that do not recognise the parking card, or which have their own, different system?
N/A
Are the same concessions available to individuals with a disability visiting your country?
Yes
If you have answered yes to Question 13 above, please tell us if there is a formal system of reciprocal recognition of parking cards from other countries?
England: No reciprocal recognition
Northern Ireland: reciprocal recognition with Republic of Ireland
Are there minimum dimensions for the size of a parking space reserved for a person with a disability?
2.7m x 6.6m parallel to kerb
3.6m x 4.2m at angle to kerb
Please give details of the section in your ministry responsible for parking concessions for people with a disability
N/A
Please include a link to any websites which give details of the official national policy on parking concessions for people with a disability.
For government information on car parking, please visit the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mobility/inclusive…
For government information on the blue badge scheme and rights and responsibilities, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights…
Part 3: Hiring a car if you have a disability
Does your country have any laws which require hire car companies to make adapted vehicles available for people with disabilities to rent?
Yes
Where are such vehicles available?
At major airports and in city centres
Please give details of the section responsible in your ministry for laws/policies on adapted hire cars.
Part 4: Further Information
Please give contact details (email, phone, weblinks) for any sections or organisations which have supplied information for your response to this survey if they are not already listed.
Name(s) of sections/organisations: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
email(s): [email protected]
website(s): GOV.UK