Driving with a cast on your arm...

[Mr Pies]

Can a legal beard set the record straight please.
I'm having a little operation on my left wrist tomorrow. I will be in a cast (halfway up my forearm) for 2-3 weeks.

By law am I allowed to drive? I think not but a few people I work with seem to believe its fine.

[Pontoneer]

A person with only one arm can legally drive , so why not as long as you can control the car ?

[Decky_Q]

For insurance its fine unless its against medical advice or dangerous.

Ive driven with casts on and its grand for normal driving but can catch you out if something sudden happens, and your reactions are the same as if you didnt have the cast!

[lgw]

No reason why you can't, but if you had an accident and it was proved that the arm in plaster contributed to the accident you could be in something brown

I drove with a broken leg many years ago, I never had a cast on though as my leg was pinned back together

Edited by lgw on Monday 9th January 15:55

[Mr Pies]

Ok chaps thanks. I'm still going to try and avoid driving as much as possible though.

[R0G]

If not able to change gear etc without the good arm releasing the steering wheel then it is illegal

I am assuming that the bad arm would not be able to control the steering wheel

Plenty drive with one arm but in specially adapted vehicles

[mph1977]

Pontoneer said:

A person with only one arm can legally drive , so why not as long as you can control the car ?

after medical assessment and generally with some adaptations ( even if it's only an auto with trucker's rim knob)

the advice that is given by most hospitals is not to drive with a cast on as you are unlikely to be in full control of the car ( the exception to that would be a below knee cast on your left leg if you drove an auto normally)

[scorcher]

Check with your insurance Company. They might not cover you whilst you are in a cast.My missus couldn't drive for 9 weeks whilst she had her broken little finger in a splint as the insurance co. said she wouldn't be covered by them.

[_rubinho_]

mph1977 said:

trucker's rim knob

[Pcot]

My wrist was in a cast in 2001, and the hospital advised me not to drive. I rang my insurance Co, who said i would not be covered if i had an accident.
H&S and all the rest of the legal bks, have got much more stringent since then, so i would advise against driving.

[AlexiusG55]

R0G said:

If not able to change gear etc without the good arm releasing the steering wheel then it is illegal

I am assuming that the bad arm would not be able to control the steering wheel

Plenty drive with one arm but in specially adapted vehicles

Surely any automatic would be fine assuming you can operate the turn signals (which I imagine you could even in a cast?).

[Pontoneer]

The one-armed chap I knew , who was a grocer in my home town , drove an automatic Volvo estate without any modifications . Besides being amazingly adept at loading and unloading boxes of stock in and out of the car , he ran his shop and played golf better than a lot of people with two arms !

[Nigel Worc's]

My honest advice would be to check with your medical team, if they're ok with it, inform your insurers, tell them your medical team are happy, and Bobs your uncle, you've notified everyone.

Then as long as you are happy, off you go.

If you're not happy, then don't until you are happy !

[Mill Wheel]

Having seen some people's driving recently, I don't see that a one armed man with blinkers on could be any worse!

Ask the consultant/surgeon for advice!

[paul81]

I had the same injury in October. I was informed by the doctor and my insurance company as long as the cast is below the elbow it perfectly legal to drive.

[Mr E]

When I broke an elbow I rang the insurance company who stated "as long as you fell you're in full control, you can drive"

I chose not to.

[Goodsteed]

Re-earthing this one...

We're driving from the UK to Northern Italy shortly, right hand drive car. My right forearm and hand is in a cast to heal a fractured wrist. I have full strength (I can even twist an ignition on).

Our route goes through France, Belgium, Lux (cheap fuel!), Germany, Austria and Italy. I'm not planning on driving... but may have to.

Does anyone know (or point me in the direction of someone who does), how legal/illegal this is considered in Europe.

For the record the plaster technician who put it on says UK police can impound your car, 6 points on your licence and fine you and arm and a leg if caught. Not bothered asking the insurer. Not driving in the UK.

Cheers.

[markjmd]

Legal in France, so long as it doesn't in any way hinder your movement, visibility of the road, or operation of essential vehicle controls:
https://www.ornikar.com/code/cours/conducteur/etat...

[TwigtheWonderkid]

scorcher said:

Check with your insurance Company. They might not cover you whilst you are in a cast.My missus couldn't drive for 9 weeks whilst she had her broken little finger in a splint as the insurance co. said she wouldn't be covered by them.

This is what happens when you get thru to an idiot at the insurance company. You should have asked to speak to someone with an IQ in double figures.

[kiethton]

Was pulled over on the M25 a few years back with my right hand and wrist (to elbow) in a cast while driving my BMW 540i (auto).

Copper had no issues, he’ll amputee’s are allowed to drive