When can I get back to driving?

Depending on the type of illness that took you into Intensive Care, there may be no reason why you shouldn't go back to driving. However, if you had a heart attack, for example, you are generally advised not to drive for at least a month afterwards. There may be other reasons for caution around getting back behind the wheel, but if you are in any doubt at all about your ability to drive, please consult your GP and your insurance company.

Patients do sometimes tell us that they feel anxious about taking up driving again. The main reasons are a temporary loss of confidence, loss of grip strength around the wheel, and concerns about concentration span and reaction times. From what other people have told us, these issues are often temporary.

"I drove for the first time yesterday. I hadn't driven because I felt a bit shaky.I just sort of thought...especially with my feet feeling peculiar, I was slightly worried about not being able to feel the pedals properly, you know? I hadn't been driving, but yesterday we went out and I drove back, so I said actually I can drive myself now. I'm fine now."

"I don’t drive at the moment.Well, we've got a Discovery and it's quite heavy.I think I might drive up and down the driveway and see how I get on. I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to change gear and whether I could get the handbrake on and off...and whether I'd be able to do an emergency stop..."

"I didn’t want to drive at first but I think we'll go somewhere quiet. I mean, I'm not an over enthusiastic driver, but I do like to have the ability to drive so that I don’t have to say to David “I want to go to the shops, and..I want to be able to go myself”
 
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