Driving after a stroke
My husband had a stroke. Is he still allowed to drive here? Will he be insured? I am worried about what would happen if he had an accident. W.S.
There is no set rule on driving after a stroke, especially as strokes vary a lot in their intensity and after-effects.
Maintaining or suspending – perhaps only temporarily – the right to drive depends on medical decisions that are taken case by case.
Drivers have an obligation to undergo checks if they have suffered an illness which may have impaired their ability, and a stroke is listed among the kinds of illness concerned.
These checks should not just be done by your husband’s own doctor, although he or she should be able to advise.
It is advisable to also speak to the préfecture in order to arrange to see a doctor approved by them who can evaluate your husband’s condition, whether mental or physical. If he does not do this and is then involved in an accident, his insurance could be invalid.
You – and other readers - may be interested to know that some centres and driving schools offer specialised driving lessons to people with physical and/or mental impairments. You can find a list of these schools here: cerahtec.invalides.fr/doc/ecoles.pdf.
