HALF of Scots motorists who lost their driving licence last year because they were at risk of suffering a potentially deadly blackout at the wheel were back on the road within months.
A total of 351 car, motorcycle, bus and lorry drivers north of the Border lost their licences during the 12 months to the end of March 2015 after declaring the same medical condition as the driver of the bin lorry that crashed in Glasgow killing six people.
Harry Clarke passed out and lost control of the vehicle in George Swuare on December 22 last year.
However, figures reveal that 161 of these motorists, 46 per cent, had their licences restored within months.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) insists that licences will only be reinstated once the licence-holder has met "relevant medical standards".
However, campaigners have called for tougher checks following damning revelations about Mr Clarke's conduct at the recent bin lorry crash Fatal Accident Inquiry
It heard the Glasgow City Council employee repeatedly hid his history of fainting from doctors, employers and the licensing authority.
It also heard that the DVLA has never prosecuted anyone for lying in licence applications.
David Wilson, partner at Digby Brown Solicitors represents the family of bin crash crash victim Jacqueline Morton and has also acted for the families of students Mhairi Convy and Laura Stewart, who died after being struck by motorist William Payne, who passed out, in Glasgow in 2010.
He said everything had to be done to avoid a repeat of these tragedies.
Mr Wilson added: "It is essential that we prevent situations arising where licences have been given back to drivers where they have fainted without warning and there is a high risk of re-occurrence.
"It was a matter of grave concern for my clients that Harry Clarke was reissued a licence less than six months after the accident only for it to be revoked once a more detailed consideration of the case was undertaken by the DVLA."
The statistics for 2014/15, obtained under freedom of information, reveal that 216 car and motorcycle drivers in Scotland gave up, lost or were refused a driver's licence after declaring a history of blackouts or "cough syncope" where a severe coughing fit causes someone to lose consciousness.
Of these, 148 were cleared to drive later that year.
Among bus and lorry drivers, 31 had their PCV and HGV licences revoked or refused last year. Within months, however, 13 were back on the road.
Of the four who surrendered their licences voluntarily, none got them back.
Margaret Dekker, researcher for Scotland's Campaign against Irresponsible Driving (SCID), said it should be mandatory for doctors to notify the DVLA rather than relying on patients to do so.
She said: "I know people with long-standing neurological conditions who are asked every time they go to their GP 'are you still driving?'. It shouldn't be an option.
"If it's just themselves that they're putting at risk then that's up to them, but they're putting other innocent road users at risk.
"I know it's difficult for people to give up driving, but it's a privilege to hold a driver's licence - it's not a right."
Professor W Angus Wallace, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) said he estimated that more than 50 per cent of patients with blackout-causing conditions could be treated "fairly easily with simple measures and possibly drug treatment".
However, he added: "The only problem with this system is that if the person with the blackouts fails to reveal the whole history, they can mislead their medical advisers.”
In a statement, the DVLA said: "A driving licence will only be reinstated after further medical enquiries confirm that the driver is now able to meet the relevant medical standards for driving.
"Such consideration may include commissioning a medical report from the driver’s own doctor or hospital specialist and, for some medical conditions, may also require that the driver has an examination."
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