A coroner has called for tougher scrutiny when renewing driving licenses after two motorcyclists died in a head on crash with a car in East Yorkshire.
Assistant coroner Jessica Swift wrote to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), warning “there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken”.
Her report to the DVLA was prepared following the deaths of Geoffrey Toase, 64, from York, and Michael Midgley, 65, from Goole, on the A166 at Garrowby Hill, near Stamford Bridge, on Saturday, August 3, 2019.
Humberside Police said the two men were killed when their motorcycles – a Kawasaki 636 ZX6R and a Honda CBR 1000 – crashed with a silver Volkswagen Polo on the road.
The three vehicles collided on a stretch of road between the junctions with Barf Lane and The Balk, near Bugthorpe.
Emergency services were called to the scene but the severity of the injuries suffered by Mr Toase and Mr Midgley meant they were pronounced dead at the scene.
An inquest into the deaths in August reached the conclusion of road traffic collision.
Ms Swift said the driver of the car, who is not named in her report, had a number of health-related conditions, including Type 1 Diabetes controlled by injecting insulin.
They were required to reapply to the DVLA for a license every three years as a result of the diabetes.
When the crash happened, the coroner said, the driver was “on the balance of probability” suffering a hypoglycaemic (low blood sugar) episode “which had compromised their ability to drive in an appropriate manner”.
According to the NHS, hypoglycaemia is commonly associated with diabetes and mainly happens if someone with the condition takes too much insulin, misses a meal or exercises too hard. The result is that the body does not have enough energy to carry out its activities.
Coroner raises concerns for DVLA
Ms Swift said she heard from the DVLA doctor who re-issued a license to the driver of the car involved in the fatal collision during the inquest.
She raised concern that DVLA doctors are “not actively encouraged by the DVLA” to request further information about an applicant’s medical history.
The DVLA does “not generally” seek further information from any identified speciality doctor that may be involved in an applicant’s medical care and treatment – instead these requests for more information are usually directed to the person’s GP, the coroner said.
Forms sent to an applicant’s GP by the DVLA for the purpose of obtaining further information are “largely tick box in nature”, she added. These forms do not provide “sufficient scope” for the GP to provide more detailed information, which means a full assessment cannot be conducted by the reviewing DVLA doctor.
Ms Swift said there is “no apparent system” in place to verify the accuracy of the information provided by an applicant within their medical self-declaration. “This information is generally accepted by the DVLA without question.”
The DVLA does not send this medical self-declaration information to the person’s GP which, the coroner said, “limits any scope for the GP to identify if the information contained within a medical self-declaration is accurate".
She added that the DVLA doctor involved in the case “gave evidence that they felt ‘constrained’ by the DVLA guidance, standards and working practices they are required to work to”.
Addressing her concerns, the coroner told the DVLA: “In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you (and/or your organisation) has the power to take such action.”
The DVLA must respond to the report by Monday, October 7.
The Press has approached the DVLA for comment.
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