Epilepsy and permission to drive
Villanueva-Gómez, F.; Salas-Puig, J.; Fernández-Miranda, M.C.; de Juan, J.
Revista de Neurologia 31(12): 1184-1192
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0210-0010 PMID: 11205556 Document Number: 514992
At the present time it has become a social necessity for most people to be able to drive a motor vehicle. For this reason, obtention of a driving license is continuously regulated so as to be adapted to the psychophysical aptitudes required at any given moment, since these vary with medical and social advances. We review the doctrine on this subject in some of the major countries, finding that far from having similar criteria, there is disparity even between different jurisdictions of the same country. In Spain epilepsy is regulated regarding the difficulty in obtaining a driving license in the General Regulation for Drivers (RD 772/1997). We consider this in detail. We try to unify criteria regarding the periods free of seizures, modifying the language with respect to some of these, validity of the license, analysis of the medical report and its responsibility in case of third party injury in a road accident. We propose open debate to clarify these terms.