Driving with Epilepsy: Guidelines and Restrictions for Epileptics on the Road

2024-04-04 06:46:04

In traffic you have to be able to react at any time, because an unforeseeable dangerous situation can always arise. However, if you suffer an epileptic seizure while behind the wheel of a car, you often temporarily lose consciousness and control over your own body. Epileptics, who can have a seizure at any time, are a risk to themselves and other people. But what does that mean exactly? Are epileptics not allowed to drive?

What exactly is epilepsy?

According to information from the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), in epilepsy individual areas of the brain or the entire brain are excessively active. This means there are too many signals being emitted. This triggers a so-called epileptic seizure. Such an attack does not always lead to the entire body cramping or to loss of consciousness. Sometimes just individual muscles twitch.

Epilepsy can occur at any age and often has no direct trigger. It is important to know: An epileptic seizure is not yet called epilepsy. According to the BMG, around ten out of 100 people have an epileptic seizure at some point in their lives. It is only when multiple seizures occur that it is epilepsy.

When are epileptics allowed to drive?

The treating neurologist or neurologist determines whether you can drive a car despite epilepsy, i.e. whether you are fit to drive. According to information from the German Epilepsy Association, he is also obliged to do this. The Federal Highway Research Institute also determines whether you are fit to drive or not. This publishes the assessment guidelines for fitness to drive, which are intended to provide guidance. A distinction is made here between the different driving license groups.

In Driving license group 1 Classes A, A1, A2, B, BE, AM, L and T are summarized. These include, for example, mopeds, motorcycles, cars, vans and trucks up to 3.5 tons as well as agricultural and forestry tractors.

Driving license group 2 summarizes classes C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE, D1E and FzF. These include, for example, trucks and buses as well as permission to transport passengers, i.e. the so-called passenger transport license, which is required to drive taxis or ambulances.

At Driving license group 1 The following guidelines apply to assessing fitness to drive despite epilepsy:

• After a first seizure without an increased risk of seizures, fitness to drive can be certified after six months without seizures.
• If the seizure was triggered by a cause that can be precisely determined, for example due to lack of sleep, a febrile seizure or after brain surgery, the patient can regain the ability to drive after three months without seizures.
• If epilepsy is diagnosed, the following applies: The ability to drive can only be regained after at least one year of freedom from seizures or after a year in which only seizures have occurred in which safe driving is possible. If you have been diagnosed with epilepsy and only have seizures in your sleep for three years, you can also regain the ability to drive.
• In the event of a relapse after years without seizures, you are generally fit to drive after at least six months without another seizure. However, if the seizure had a direct trigger, you can be able to drive again after just three months without having a seizure. However, if the risk of seizures is increased according to the doctor’s assessment, you have to be seizure-free for a year before you can drive again.
• If you stop taking medication for epilepsy, you may not drive again until at least three months after stopping it.
• If you are currently taking medication for epilepsy, your fitness to drive can only be certified if you can drive safely under the influence of these medications.

At Driving license group 2 The following guidelines apply to assessing fitness to drive despite epilepsy:

• If you take medication for epilepsy, so-called anti-epileptic drugs, you generally cannot be certified as fit to drive.
• After a first seizure without an increased risk of seizures, you may not drive again until you have been seizure-free for at least two years.
• For certain seizure triggers, the following applies: The earliest you can regain the ability to drive is after six months without a seizure.
• In all other cases, fitness to drive can be certified after at least five years of freedom from seizures without treatment.

Important: These assessment guidelines do not constitute law. They only serve as a guide for treating physicians to determine whether a patient with epilepsy may be fit to drive. The doctor determines the final fitness to drive at his or her own discretion.

Will your driving license be revoked if you have epilepsy?

If epilepsy is only diagnosed when the person affected already has a driver’s license, they don’t just have to hand it over. According to the German Epilepsy Association, there is also no obligation to report to the road traffic authority. Here too, doctors are initially bound by their duty of confidentiality. Only if doctors do not believe they are fit to drive and have legitimate concerns that the patient will still drive can they inform the road traffic authorities.

Even if you can keep your driving license, you should not drive if you are not fit to drive. If an accident occurs, the liability insurance can take recourse against the person affected by epilepsy, i.e. demand the money back from them for the damage. In addition, such a case can have criminal consequences – even if the driver with epilepsy was not at fault for the accident.

By the way: Cannabis can help against epilepsy. Cannabis legalization could also benefit epileptics. And the ketogenic diet can also help reduce seizures.