The DVLA self-declaration gap that let an HGV driver hide his medical conditions

Licence granted, conditions never declared

On 16 October, Chester Crown Court jailed 30-year-old HGV driver Daniel Barlow from Whitworth, Lancashire, for eight years and four months for causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for ten years and four months.

The court heard that when Barlow applied for his HGV licence, he did not disclose notifiable medical conditions to the DVLA. He still received his licence and worked as a professional driver. The case also involved his use of a mobile phone at the wheel, including a gambling website, before his lorry hit a stationary car on the M6 in December 2022. A 19-year-old passenger was killed.

How the system works

According to GOV.UK, all licence holders must tell the DVLA if they develop a notifiable condition or if an existing condition gets worse. These include diabetes treated with insulin, fainting, heart conditions, sleep apnoea, epilepsy, strokes and glaucoma.

For lorry and bus drivers the rules are stricter than for car drivers:

• they cannot report conditions online and must send a form or questionnaire specific to each condition,
• they must surrender their licence if a doctor tells them to stop driving for three months or more, or if they no longer meet the medical standards,
• they need a medical examination report (D4) completed by a doctor when they first apply and when they renew.

However, the D4 doctor does not have to be the driver’s own GP. Much of the medical history in the process still depends on what the driver chooses to tell the doctor and the DVLA. Failing to report a condition can lead to a fine of up to £1,000, and to prosecution if the driver is involved in an accident.

Coroners have already raised the alarm

The weakness is not new. Cumbria coroner Robert Cohen has issued reports to prevent future deaths after inquests into several fatal crashes, warning about the effectiveness and safety of the self-declaration process and the risk that drivers do not notify the DVLA.

In its December 2025 response, the Department for Transport admitted that some drivers “wilfully ignore” medical advice. It said the legal duty to notify the DVLA rests with the driver, and that doctors are not legally required to report patients, although General Medical Council guidance allows them to do so in the public interest.

The department promised a comprehensive review of the self-declaration forms, awareness campaigns and closer work with healthcare professionals. In a later response, it repeated these commitments but gave no firm timetable, saying that medical driver licensing is complex and changes must be introduced carefully.

A system under pressure

The DVLA is also struggling with growing numbers of medical cases. As trans.info reported earlier this week, it currently takes an average of 62.3 working days to decide a licence application involving a medical condition. Honest drivers who declare their conditions can wait months, while those who stay silent face few checks.

Earlier cases show that penalties for driving while medically unfit can be low. trans.info has reported on a lorry driver fined just £116 for driving while medically unfit.

What operators can do

Transport companies cannot rely only on the DVLA. Good practice includes:

• asking drivers to confirm their medical fitness regularly and to report any new condition,
• tracking D4 medical and licence renewal dates,
• offering occupational health checks, especially for older drivers and night workers,
• creating a culture in which drivers can report health problems without fear of losing their job immediately.

Until the government changes the system, the safety of the road still depends largely on drivers telling the truth.