# Driving?

**URL:** <https://forum.chiarisupport.org/t/driving/6566>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [January 12, 2016, 10:35am UTC](https://forum.chiarisupport.org/t/driving/6566 "2016-01-12T10:35:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![andrea4](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.chiarisupport.org/andrea4/32/3724_2.png) [@andrea4](https://forum.chiarisupport.org/u/andrea4)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 10:35am UTC](https://forum.chiarisupport.org/t/driving/6566/1 "2016-01-12T10:35:50Z")

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I have just read that Arnold Chairi malformation is a condition in the UK where u must advise the dvla . This could possibly mean they’ll take my driving license away. Does anyone else drive ?

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**Author:** ![gabby\_jazzypants](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.chiarisupport.org/gabby_jazzypants/32/2947_2.png) [@gabby\_jazzypants](https://forum.chiarisupport.org/u/gabby_jazzypants)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://forum.chiarisupport.org/t/driving/6566/2 "2016-01-12T18:50:51Z")

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While not living in the UK, I have asked numerous medical folk about the ramifications of driving with Chiari. None have restricted my driving nor indicated that I need to notify the driving license people. So I have not.

Given what I know about my own symptoms, in relation to visual processing disturbances and cognitive disabilities including impaired divided attention, I have voluntarily restricted my driving. I have driven with confidence on multiple continents - on the wrong side of the road too - in scary rural locales and huge mega-cities . Now, I only drive on the south side of the river in my small city (100 000 people). I do not drive every day or even every week. I walk or get a ride other times. When I do drive, I plan routes so that I do not have to make left turns at complicated intersections. I plan on shorter shopping trips so that I am not tired when driving. No one talks in the car. I do not have the radio on. I do not have a cell phone. I cannot afford competing stimuli when I am driving. When I am driving, that is my sole occupation.

Even though other people do not think that my driving is impaired, I know that it is. If I were to get in an accident, I would feel awful if my lack of awareness or inattention caused harm to another person. I am also selfish in that I know that my head and neck would not recover well from a car accident.

This is my situation with Chiari after decompression surgery. I hope that everyone else is able to make decisions to drive safely.