Regaining the ability to drive safely is a common concern after a hand or wrist injury or treatment. The law does not specify exact timeframes, but you must be able to control your vehicle safely at all times. You should be confident that you could perform an emergency stop without hesitation or pain, and that your grip, strength and reaction times are unaffected.

You may also need to inform your insurer before resuming driving, as failure to do so may invalidate your policy. However, some insurers ask if you can get a Doctor to state that you are safe to drive. Here they are trying to transfer any liability, should you unfortunately have an accident. Doctors cannot state that you are safe to drive because they have not assessed your driving ability. It is therefore imperative that you make your own assessment and only resume driving when you feel you can safely control the vehicle. It is good to have a practice driving test on an empty car park going through all of the manoeuvres to ensure you feel safe and confident.

For most minor procedures (e.g. carpal tunnel decompression, trigger finger release), patients are typically safe to drive after 1-3 weeks, once the dressing is reduced and movement is comfortable. After larger operations (e.g. wrist fracture fixation, trapeziectomy), recovery may take 6-8 weeks or longer before full control returns. If you wear a cast or splint, you must not drive until it is removed and you can fully grip the steering wheel.

For commercial or Class 1 & 2 licence holders (e.g. HGV or bus drivers), stricter standards apply, and you should contact the DVLA Medical Enquiries team for written guidance if in doubt.

Summary: You can drive when you are safely in control of your vehicle, free from restrictive dressings or pain, and able to perform an emergency stop confidently.