Drivers need good vision, physical ability, and cognitive capacity to safely and competently drive a motor vehicle. Driver health, and their medical fitness to drive is therefore an important factor in supporting the safety of Australians who use the roads.
If a person has a medical condition which may affect their safe driving ability, their doctor may require them to undergo a safe driving assessment so they can determine their fitness to drive.
What is involved in Medical Driving Assessments?
Workcom recognises the ability to drive is an important part of returning to normal life following an injury or illness. Our workplace rehabilitation company has experienced Occupational Therapists specialising in OT Driver Assessments who work across Australia.
A medical driving evaluation includes:
- Assessing fitness to drive following illness or injury and providing a Vehicle Modification Prescription.
- Providing assistance with appropriate vehicle modifications for people with physical changes affecting their ability to drive.
- Facilitating driving rehabilitation programs with suitably experienced driver trainers.
The ability to drive following an injury may also hinder the return to work process. Once a medical driving assessment has been performed, the OT Driver Assessor can identify the legal, medical and physical requirements of returning to driving, and provide the following services:
- Driving Assessments
- Vehicle Modification Prescription
- Driving Rehabilitation
- Assistance with Driving Phobias
- Post-traumatic Stress and Driving
- Driver Fatigue
Why are Evaluations to assess a Person’s Medical Fitness to Drive so Important?
The yearly, economic cost of crashes on Australian roads is estimated to sit around $30 billion. This economic toll is accompanied by disastrous social impacts. While numerous factors contribute to road safety, driver health, and their fitness to drive is an important consideration. In Australia, drivers must, by law, meet certain medical standards to ensure their health does not overly increase their risk of crashing to an unacceptable standard.