The aim of determining fitness to drive is to achieve a balance between:

• minimising any driving-related road safety risks for the individual and the community posed by the driver’s permanent or long- term injury or illness,
• maintaining the driver’s lifestyle and employment-related mobility independence.

The key question is: Is there a likelihood the person will be unable to control the vehicle and/or unable to act or react to the driving environment in a safe, consistent and timely manner?

The main considerations in making this assessment are:

• the driving task, including the person’s individual driving requirements and mobility needs (refer to section 2.1. The driving task)
• the potential impacts of medical conditions, disabilities and treatments (refer to section 2.2. Impact of medical conditions on driving)
• the driver’s functional abilities including their capacity to compensate and the need for rehabilitation (refer to section 2.3. Assessing and supporting functional driver capacity).

The general guidance provided in this section should be considered in conjunction with the specific criteria and management guidelines for individual conditions outlined in Part B of this publication.

In light of the information gathered across these areas, the health professional may advise the patient regarding their fitness to drive and provide advice to the driver licensing authority (refer to section 3. Roles and responsibilities). The threshold tolerance is much less for commercial vehicle drivers where there is the potential for more time on the road and more severe consequences in the event of a crash (refer to section 4.1. Medical standards for private and commercial vehicle drivers). In cases where a person may only be fit to drive in some circumstances or requires periodic review to monitor the progression of their condition, the health professional may advise conditions under which driving could be performed safely (refer to section 4.4. Conditional licences).

Detailed steps for performing the assessment and managing the outcome are found in section 5. Assessment and reporting process – step by step.