Ideas for motorsports for someone with no licence
Discussion
Folks,
I'm after some help to satisfy my petrol engined needs.
In short, my licence has been taken away after 20 years of driving and motorcycling. I love anything with an engine including all things motorsport. Unfortunately, some 15 months ago, I started having visual disturbances. After much investigating, these were classed as epileptic seizures even though there was no fitting, loss of conciousness or ability to drive of complete fine motorskills, hence the DVLA taking my licence.
I would dearly love to do some driving/riding but I can't find anything I can do. It seems anything managed by the DVLA or the MSA doesn't want to know.
Ideas gratefully accepted.
I'm after some help to satisfy my petrol engined needs.
In short, my licence has been taken away after 20 years of driving and motorcycling. I love anything with an engine including all things motorsport. Unfortunately, some 15 months ago, I started having visual disturbances. After much investigating, these were classed as epileptic seizures even though there was no fitting, loss of conciousness or ability to drive of complete fine motorskills, hence the DVLA taking my licence.
I would dearly love to do some driving/riding but I can't find anything I can do. It seems anything managed by the DVLA or the MSA doesn't want to know.
Ideas gratefully accepted.
Thanks guys,
The difficulty is that most track day companies require a driving licence, I assume due to insurance/litigation concerns. Likewise the MSA control virtually all competative motorsport and despite many (ARDS etc.) not needing a driving licence, they require medicals which preclude me. It's ironic that when I get my licence back, I can drive a car on public roads where there is far greater potential for serious injury than on a properly organised race meeting!
The frustration comes about because of the broad brush of epilepsy. The "type" I have only has seizures involving mild visual disturbances which are controlled through medication unlike the more commonly know fits etc. The MSA medicals do not consider type or natuer of seizures with all seizures lumped together.
I'm not bothered if it's competetive or just track days, I'm just seeking a chance to do something I love again.
Thanks again
The difficulty is that most track day companies require a driving licence, I assume due to insurance/litigation concerns. Likewise the MSA control virtually all competative motorsport and despite many (ARDS etc.) not needing a driving licence, they require medicals which preclude me. It's ironic that when I get my licence back, I can drive a car on public roads where there is far greater potential for serious injury than on a properly organised race meeting!
The frustration comes about because of the broad brush of epilepsy. The "type" I have only has seizures involving mild visual disturbances which are controlled through medication unlike the more commonly know fits etc. The MSA medicals do not consider type or natuer of seizures with all seizures lumped together.
I'm not bothered if it's competetive or just track days, I'm just seeking a chance to do something I love again.
Thanks again
I don't think that the lack of license will be the problem, more the reason for it being revoked.
I can't imagine any governing body allowing some that has had their license revoked for epilepsy out onto a track, sorry.
As others have said have you thought about marshalling/ timekeeping etc to get involved with the sport at least until you get your license back?
I can't imagine any governing body allowing some that has had their license revoked for epilepsy out onto a track, sorry.
As others have said have you thought about marshalling/ timekeeping etc to get involved with the sport at least until you get your license back?
n3il123 said:
I don't think that the lack of license will be the problem, more the reason for it being revoked.
I can't imagine any governing body allowing some that has had their license revoked for epilepsy out onto a track, sorry.
As others have said have you thought about marshalling/ timekeeping etc to get involved with the sport at least until you get your license back?
chap I know def had it revoked due to police chase... I can't imagine any governing body allowing some that has had their license revoked for epilepsy out onto a track, sorry.
As others have said have you thought about marshalling/ timekeeping etc to get involved with the sport at least until you get your license back?
If you want something very low budget there's this;
http://www.fueltopia.co.uk/group/FBS
Not really racing as such but it is against another car as well as the clock.
http://www.fueltopia.co.uk/group/FBS
Not really racing as such but it is against another car as well as the clock.
I appreciate I'm resurrecting an old post here but maybe this will be helpful for somebody - if we initially take the current UK participation rules as a given, for almost all motorsport you will need either a driving license or a Motorsport UK license of some form. Because epilepsy can start with one type of seizure and later exhibit other types, even if your seizures are "safe", you won't get a license until your epilepsy has been stable for a number of years - I believe that is 3 for a driving license and 5 for the most basic motorsport license.
If you don't take the rules as a given, having epilepsy is either a disability, or sharing a characteristic with somebody who is disabled, and that means no matter how slight it is, you're protected in law as a disabled person. This affords you the following protection: You can't be excluded unless the excluding body can prove that excluding you is a proportionate means of accomplishing a legitimate aim.
Safety is clearly a legitimate aim, so you are left with proving that excluding you is not proportionate. In your case, with newly-diagnosed epilepsy you are going to struggle, because waiting to see how stable it is, is probably proportionate. Once your epilepsy has proven stable for a few years, assuming it doesn't impair your ability to drive, you'll probably get your driving license back. At that point you can participate in motorsports that only require a UK driving license, such as e.g. non-competitive track days etc. Currently however, MSUK excludes anybody with active epilepsy from competitive motorsport - so anything requiring a MSUK license will be out. In my view, this is illegal because it is NOT proportionate, because it unnecessarily excludes safe drivers from activities which they are safe to participate in. I'm currently encouraging MSUK to see the light on this. On their home page, the chairman asks what hope there can be for motorsport to be inclusive, when our world champion experiences descrimination and racist abuse. So I'm sure there's the will from the top to improve inclusivity in the sport. He might just have to clonk a few heads together lower down to get us there.
If you don't take the rules as a given, having epilepsy is either a disability, or sharing a characteristic with somebody who is disabled, and that means no matter how slight it is, you're protected in law as a disabled person. This affords you the following protection: You can't be excluded unless the excluding body can prove that excluding you is a proportionate means of accomplishing a legitimate aim.
Safety is clearly a legitimate aim, so you are left with proving that excluding you is not proportionate. In your case, with newly-diagnosed epilepsy you are going to struggle, because waiting to see how stable it is, is probably proportionate. Once your epilepsy has proven stable for a few years, assuming it doesn't impair your ability to drive, you'll probably get your driving license back. At that point you can participate in motorsports that only require a UK driving license, such as e.g. non-competitive track days etc. Currently however, MSUK excludes anybody with active epilepsy from competitive motorsport - so anything requiring a MSUK license will be out. In my view, this is illegal because it is NOT proportionate, because it unnecessarily excludes safe drivers from activities which they are safe to participate in. I'm currently encouraging MSUK to see the light on this. On their home page, the chairman asks what hope there can be for motorsport to be inclusive, when our world champion experiences descrimination and racist abuse. So I'm sure there's the will from the top to improve inclusivity in the sport. He might just have to clonk a few heads together lower down to get us there.
Edited by RobFrost on Thursday 18th July 15:08
This thread is a little out of date, in that it predates the introduction of the mandatory RS clubman licence. As mentioned in one post above, there were a variety of club events one could do with just club membership.
Now that isn’t the case anymore, you always need the RS licence. However, I am not aware If there are any medical Sections on the form. Does anyone know if it’s still the case that a person in the OP’s situation could compete on an RS licence?
I know when it was introduced a lot were worried about this, but I don’t think the fears were founded in fact, once it was in place.
Now that isn’t the case anymore, you always need the RS licence. However, I am not aware If there are any medical Sections on the form. Does anyone know if it’s still the case that a person in the OP’s situation could compete on an RS licence?
I know when it was introduced a lot were worried about this, but I don’t think the fears were founded in fact, once it was in place.
In a strange coincidence it appears all MSUK competition licence holders will have just received an email today.
I won’t copy it here, but it basically tells you that if you lose your drivers licence, you must also hand in your competition licence too.
It’s not compatible with being a responsible body to allow you to continue apparently.
I won’t copy it here, but it basically tells you that if you lose your drivers licence, you must also hand in your competition licence too.
It’s not compatible with being a responsible body to allow you to continue apparently.
JoelH said:
Only if you lose the license by committing offences though.
Lot of people on social media getting upset over it but I don't see an issue personally and I was quite surprised that it hadn't always been the case.
Is speeding an offence under the RTA?Lot of people on social media getting upset over it but I don't see an issue personally and I was quite surprised that it hadn't always been the case.
It seems harsh if it is and a race driver were to loose his comp licence on that basis?
Or mine as a navigator for that matter.... I dont even drive on events!
( not that I have any points mind... )
velocemitch said:
Is speeding an offence under the RTA?
It seems harsh if it is and a race driver were to loose his comp licence on that basis?
Or mine as a navigator for that matter.... I dont even drive on events!
( not that I have any points mind... )
Well given the number of times they would need to get caught including the obligatory speed awareness course in three years I'd say they would only have themselves to blame.It seems harsh if it is and a race driver were to loose his comp licence on that basis?
Or mine as a navigator for that matter.... I dont even drive on events!
( not that I have any points mind... )
JoelH said:
velocemitch said:
Is speeding an offence under the RTA?
It seems harsh if it is and a race driver were to loose his comp licence on that basis?
Or mine as a navigator for that matter.... I dont even drive on events!
( not that I have any points mind... )
Well given the number of times they would need to get caught including the obligatory speed awareness course in three years I'd say they would only have themselves to blame.It seems harsh if it is and a race driver were to loose his comp licence on that basis?
Or mine as a navigator for that matter.... I dont even drive on events!
( not that I have any points mind... )
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