Assessing Fitness to Drive - BiOptic Driving Network

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PURPOSE OF GUIDELINES1 PURPOSE AND STATUS OF THESE GUIDELINES1.1 The primary purpose of this publication is to increase road safety in Australiaby assisting health professionals to promote the responsible driving behaviourof their patients having regard to their medical fitness.1.2 Driving a motor vehicle is a complex task involving perception, good judgement,adequate response time and reasonable physical capability. A range of medicalconditions, as well as certain treatments, may impair any of these factors.Impairment may affect driving ability adversely, possibly resulting in a crash causinginjury or death.1.3 The responsibility for road safety and for driver licensing in the States and Territoriesof Australia and in New Zealand lies with the respective driver licensing authorities.This booklet is designed for medical and other health professionals who may assisttheir driving patients or be asked to advise the driver licensing authoritiesconcerning drivers under their care whose medical conditions have the potential toimpair their driving safety.1.4 Health professionals as well as drivers have a responsibility to ensure thatcompromised fitness to drive does not result in an unacceptably increased riskto the drivers themselves or other members of the public.1.5 This second edition replaces the first edition, dated 1998. It represents the latest setof national uniform guidelines on the fitness to drive of private vehicle drivers and isapproved by the driver licensing authorities of all States and Territories for usethroughout Australia.1.6 These guidelines and standards are intended to provide a primary source of criteriafor State and Territory driver licensing authorities in assessing fitness to drive. Theyare also intended as a primary reference for health professionals.1.7 Individual States and Territories have requirements additional to the nationalguidelines. For example, in New Zealand, the Northern Territory and South Australia,laws exist that require certain health professionals to notify the local driver licensingauthority concerning drivers under their care whose medical conditions impair theirdriving to the extent where they are likely to endanger the public. Healthprofessionals in Northern Territory and South Australia are advised to obtain up-todateinformation from the local driver licensing authorities. Contact informationappears on page 74 of this book.2
USE OF GUIDELINES2 ROUTINE USE OF THE GUIDELINES2.1 WHO SHOULD USE THIS BOOK?• Medical General Practitioners• Medical Specialists• Optometrists• Psychologists• Physiotherapists• Occupational Therapists• Other health professionals dealing with clients who suffer from conditions thatmay affect their ability to drive safely.2.2 WHY SHOULD THIS BOOK BE USED?2.2.1 Routine use of these guidelines will ensure that the fitness to drive of each patient isassessed in a consistent manner. In doing so the health professional will not onlybe contributing to road safety, but will minimise medico-legal exposure in theevent that a patient is involved in a crash.2.3 WHEN SHOULD THIS BOOK BE USED?2.3.1 This book should be used when treating any patient who holds a licence for a lightmotor vehicle including:• a car (C )• a motorcycle (R)• a light rigid (LR) (see next table for explanation)2.4 WHAT IF THE PATIENT DRIVES SOME OTHER VEHICLE?2.4.1 If a patient drives any other class of vehicle, consult:● Medical Examinations of Commercial Vehicle Drivers, published by the National RoadTransport Commission and the Federal Office of Road Safety (now known as theAustralian Transport Safety Bureau). This book can be obtained from the NationalRoad Transport Commission, whose address appears on page 74.2.4.2 It is important to note that the class of driver licence held will usually determinewhich book should be used. This book should be used for drivers with a driverlicence class C, R or LR. Where a driver has a driver licence of class MR, HR, HC orMC, or where the driver drives a taxi, hire car, delivery van, truck, bus, or is achauffeur or is otherwise engaged in driving for a living, the book MedicalExaminations of Commercial Vehicle Drivers should be used in determining fitness todrive the commercial vehicle. As a general rule, the book Medical Examinations ofCommercial Vehicle Drivers should be used where the patient drives a vehiclecommercially, even if it is a car or a light truck.3
Page 3 and 4: ASSESSINGFITNESS TO DRIVEGUIDELINES
Page 5 and 6: ENDORSEMENTSThese guidelines have t
Page 7 and 8: FOREWORDThe Austroads Council has e
Page 9 and 10: CONTENTS9 ANAESTHESIA 189.1 Relevan
Page 11 and 12: CONTENTS29 VESTIBULAR DISORDERS 572
Page 13: PART A: GENERAL INFORMATION1
Page 17 and 18: ETHICS AND LEGAL ISSUES3 ETHICS AND
Page 19 and 20: ETHICS AND LEGAL ISSUESINDEMNITY PR
Page 21 and 22: PATIENT ASSESSMENT5 THE ASSESSMENT
Page 23 and 24: PATIENT ASSESSMENT5.4 CRASHES5.4.1
Page 25 and 26: XXXXPART B: MEDICAL STANDARDS13
Page 27 and 28: ALCOHOL ABUSE8.2.1.4 These drinking
Page 29 and 30: ALCOHOL ABUSE8.9 ALCOHOL AND MEDICA
Page 31 and 32: CANCER10 CANCER10.l RELEVANCE TO DR
Page 33 and 34: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASESMEDICAL STAN
Page 35 and 36: DIABETES12 DIABETES12.1 RELEVANCE T
Page 37 and 38: ILLICIT DRUGS13 DRUGS - ILLICIT13.1
Page 39 and 40: EPILEPSY14 EPILEPSY14.1 RELEVANCE T
Page 41 and 42: EPILEPSYMEDICAL STANDARDS - EPILEPS
Page 43 and 44: HEARING16 HEARING16.1 RELEVANCE TO
Page 45 and 46: MEDICATION / OTC DRUGS18 MEDICATION
Page 47 and 48: MEDICATION / OTC DRUGSMEDICATION WH
Page 49 and 50: MENTAL HEALTHCONDITIONMEDICAL STAND
Page 51 and 52: MUSCULO SKELETAL DISORDERS21 MUSCUL
Page 53 and 54: MUSCULO SKELETAL DISORDERSCONDITION
Page 55 and 56: NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERSCONDITIONMEDI
Page 57 and 58: OLDER DRIVERS23 OLDER DRIVERS23.1 R
Page 59 and 60: OLDER DRIVERS23.6 RESTRICTIONS AND
Page 61 and 62: PREGNANCY24 PREGNANCY24.1 RELEVANCE
Page 63 and 64: RESPIRATORY DISEASES26 RESPIRATORY
Page 65 and 66:
SLEEP DISORDERS27 SLEEP DISORDERS27
Page 67 and 68:
SLEEP DISORDERSMEDICAL STANDARDS -
Page 69 and 70:
VESTIBULAR DISORDERS29 VESTIBULAR D
Page 71 and 72:
VISION AND EYE DISORDERS30 VISION A
Page 73:
VESTIBULAR DISORDERSMEDICAL STANDAR
Page 76 and 77:
BIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHYAustralasia
Page 78 and 79:
DRIVERS LEGAL BAC LIMITSDRIVERS LEG
Page 80 and 81:
SEATBELT USESEATBELT USERELEVANCE T
Page 82 and 83:
HELMET USEHELMET USERELEVANCE TO DR
Page 84 and 85:
STANDARD LICENCE CONDITIONSSTANDARD
Page 86 and 87:
DRIVER LICENSING CONTACTSSTATE ORTE
Page 88 and 89:
INDEXINDEXAAddison’s Disease 38Ad
Page 90 and 91:
INDEXLimbs, Loss of Control of 43Lo
Page 92 and 93:
AUSTROADS PUBLICATIONSAustroads pub
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