Q If a driver failed his medical when applying for his
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hgv licence and this was known to his employers, would they then be contravening the law if they allowed him to drive a vehicle under 3 tons unladen weight? Having failed his hgv licence medical, would a driver be committing an offence if he did not declare this fact on his application for renewal of his ordinary driving licence?
A The employer would not be contra" vening the law because the medical certificate applies only to the heavy goods vehicle driving licence. However, we would suggest that there is a moral obligation on the employer to ensure that only fit persons are permitted to drive vehicles.
If, in failing his medical, a driver finds that he is suffering from an illness which should be noted on the ordinary licence renewal application form, then this should be notified to the licence department of the relevant authority It is a very fine point indeed as to whether the employer would be committing an offence if he was aware that the driver had failed to notify the authorities of his disability.