Australian medical professionals will for the first time receive training in how to assess their patients for their fitness to drive a motor vehicle.
As bike riders often have the misfortune to discover, many drivers should not be on the road because their driving is compromised by a medical condition, medical treatment or age-related cognitive decline.
These risks can be known or suspected by families and by doctors and other medical professionals, but too frequently no action is taken to initiate the removal of a driving licence.
There are tens of thousands of such drivers on the road at any time, putting the lives of other road users at risk.
And in many situations, such drivers are supported and encouraged to continue driving, with tragic consequences.
Criteria for the assessment of an individuals fitness to drive has been established for some years, and road safety authorities have sought the involvement of the medical profession to identify and engage with patients who may be unfit for the challenges of driving a motor vehicle.
However, medical professionals can find such conversations difficult, and broaching the subject of giving up driving can strain the doctor–patient relationship.
Now Austroads, the national transport standards body, has developed an online training module to guide GPs, medical specialists, nurses and allied health professionals who are involved in driver assessment or rehabilitation.
Austroads describes the module as providing practical guidance on applying the national Assessing Fitness to Drive (2022) Standards in everyday clinical practice.
"The module builds foundational knowledge on how medical conditions, injuries and disabilities may affect the driving task, as well as the principles that underpin the assessment and management of fitness to drive.
"It outlines key practice steps, communication approaches, and options for maintaining safe driving, including conditional licences, driving adjustments, and, when necessary, planning for a supported transition away from driving.”
This module supports practitioners to:
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navigate complex clinical decisions using structured, consistent guidance
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communicate more effectively with patients and carers
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understand how health conditions affect driving
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provide clear, safe and defensible advice about driving
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help patients manage driving changes over time, including transitions away from driving when needed.
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