Assessing Fitness to Drive

Table of Contents

Front matter
Foreword
Part A. Fitness to drive principles and practices
1. About this publication
- 1.1. Purpose
- 1.2. Target audience
- 1.3. Scope
- 1.4. Content
- 1.5. Development and evidence base
2. Assessing fitness to drive – general guidance
- 2.1. The driving task
- 2.2. Impact of medical conditions on driving
- 2.3. Assessing and supporting functional driver capacity
3. Roles and responsibilities
- 3.1. Roles and responsibilities of driver licensing authorities
- 3.2. Roles and responsibilities of drivers
- 3.3. Roles and responsibilities of health professionals
4. Licensing and medical fitness to drive
- 4.1. Medical standards for private and commercial vehicle drivers
- 4.2. Considerations for commercial vehicle licensing
- 4.3. Prescribed periodic medical examinations for particular licensing authorisation classes
- 4.4. Conditional licences
- 4.5. Reinstatement of licences or removal or variation of licence conditions
5. Assessment and reporting process – step by step
- 5.1. Steps in the assessment and reporting process
- 5.2. Which forms to use
References and further reading
Part B. Medical standards
Fitness to drive assessment
1. Blackouts
- 1.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 1.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 1.3. Medical standards for licensing
2. Cardiovascular conditions
- 2.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 2.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 2.3. Medical standards for licensing
3. Diabetes mellitus
- 3.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 3.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 3.3. Medical standards for licensing
4. Hearing loss and deafness
- 4.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 4.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 4.3. Medical standards for licensing
5. Musculoskeletal conditions
- 5.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 5.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 5.3. Medical standards for licensing
6. Neurological conditions
- 6.1. Dementia
- 6.2. Seizures and epilepsy
- 6.3. Other neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions
7. Psychiatric conditions
- 7.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 7.2. General assessment and management guidelines2,6,7
- 7.3. Medical standards for licensing
8. Sleep disorders
- 8.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 8.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 8.3. Medical standards for licensing
9. Substance misuse
- 9.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 9.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 9.3. Medical standards for licensing
10. Vision and eye disorders
- 10.1. Relevance to the driving task
- 10.2. General assessment and management guidelines
- 10.3. Medical standards for licensing
Part C. Appendices
Appendix 1. Regulatory requirements for driver testing
Appendix 2. Forms
Appendix 3. Legislation relating to reporting
Appendix 4. Drivers’ legal BAC limits
Appendix 5. Alcohol interlock programs
Appendix 6. Disabled car parking and taxi services
Appendix 7. Seatbelt use
Appendix 8. Helmet use
Appendix 9. Driver licensing authority contacts
Appendix 10. Specialist driver assessors
Appendix 11. Search Fitness to Drive resources

Appendix 9 Driver licensing authority contacts

Appendix 9.1. State or general contact details for health professional enquiries

State/territory	General contact details including for heavy vehicle licensing	Health professional enquiries
Australian Capital Territory	Access Canberra 132 281 lara@act.gov.au www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au	Access Canberra 132 281 lara@act.gov.au www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au
New South Wales	Transport for NSW Locked Bag 928 North Sydney NSW 2059 13 22 13 info@service.nsw.gov.au www.rms.nsw.gov.au	Transport for NSW Locked Bag 14 Grafton NSW 2460 (02) 6640 2821 medicalunit@transport.nsw.gov.au
Northern Territory	Motor Vehicle Registry GPO Box 530 Darwin NT 0801 1300 654 628 / (08) 8999 3111 mvr.medical@nt.gov.au nt.gov.au	Motor Vehicle Registry GPO Box 530 Darwin NT 0801 1300 654 628 / (08) 8999 3111 mvr.medical@nt.gov.au nt.gov.au
Queensland	Department of Transport and Main Roads GPO Box 2451 Brisbane QLD 4001 13 23 80 www.tmr.qld.gov.au	Department of Transport and Main Roads GPO Box 2451 Brisbane QLD 4001 (07) 3066 2129 www.tmr.qld.gov.au
South Australia	Department for Infrastructure and Transport GPO Box 1533 Adelaide SA 5001 13 10 84 DIT.enquiriesadministrator@sa.gov.au www.sa.gov.au	Manager – Licence Regulation Department for Infrastructure and Transport Locked Bag 700 GPO Adelaide SA 5001 (08) 8204 1946
Tasmania	Department of State Growth GPO Box 1002 Hobart TAS 7001 1300 135 513 dlu@stategrowth.tas.gov.au www.transport.tas.gov.au	Driver Licensing Unit Registration and Licensing Services Department of State Growth GPO Box 1002 Hobart TAS 7001 (03) 6166 4887
Victoria	Department of Transport and Planning Transport Victoria Medical Review GPO Box 2392, Melbourne Victoria 3001 Phone: (03) 8391 3226 Email: medicalreview@roads.vic.gov.au Web: https://transport.vic.gov.au/registration-and-licensing/licences/medical-conditions-and-reviews	Department of Transport and Planning Transport Victoria Medical Review GPO Box 2392, Melbourne Victoria 3001 Phone: (03) 8391 3226 Email: medicalreview@roads.vic.gov.au Web: https://transport.vic.gov.au/registration-and-licensing/licences/medical-conditions-and-reviews
Western Australia	Driver Services Department of Transport GPO Box R1290 Perth WA 6844 1300 852 722 driverservices@transport.wa.gov.au www.transport.wa.gov.au	Driver Services Department of Transport GPO Box R1290 Perth WA 6844 1300 852 722 driverservices@transport.wa.gov.au www.transport.wa.gov.au

Australian Capital Territory

Access Canberra

132 281

lara@act.gov.au
www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au

Access Canberra

132 281

lara@act.gov.au
www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au

New South Wales

Transport for NSW
Locked Bag 928
North Sydney NSW 2059

13 22 13

info@service.nsw.gov.au
www.rms.nsw.gov.au

Transport for NSW
Locked Bag 14
Grafton NSW 2460

(02) 6640 2821

medicalunit@transport.nsw.gov.au

Northern Territory

Motor Vehicle Registry
GPO Box 530
Darwin NT 0801

1300 654 628 / (08) 8999 3111

mvr.medical@nt.gov.au
nt.gov.au

Motor Vehicle Registry
GPO Box 530
Darwin NT 0801

1300 654 628 / (08) 8999 3111

mvr.medical@nt.gov.au
nt.gov.au

Queensland

Department of Transport and Main Roads
GPO Box 2451
Brisbane QLD 4001

13 23 80

www.tmr.qld.gov.au

Department of Transport and Main Roads
GPO Box 2451
Brisbane QLD 4001

(07) 3066 2129

www.tmr.qld.gov.au

South Australia

Department for Infrastructure and Transport
GPO Box 1533
Adelaide SA 5001

13 10 84

DIT.enquiriesadministrator@sa.gov.au www.sa.gov.au

Manager – Licence Regulation
Department for Infrastructure and Transport
Locked Bag 700 GPO
Adelaide SA 5001

(08) 8204 1946

Tasmania

Department of State Growth
GPO Box 1002
Hobart TAS 7001

1300 135 513

dlu@stategrowth.tas.gov.au
www.transport.tas.gov.au

Driver Licensing Unit
Registration and Licensing Services
Department of State Growth
GPO Box 1002
Hobart TAS 7001

(03) 6166 4887

Victoria

Department of Transport and Planning
Transport Victoria
Medical Review
GPO Box 2392,
Melbourne Victoria 3001

Phone: (03) 8391 3226
Email: medicalreview@roads.vic.gov.au
Web: https://transport.vic.gov.au/registration-and-licensing/licences/medical-conditions-and-reviews

Department of Transport and Planning
Transport Victoria
Medical Review
GPO Box 2392,
Melbourne Victoria 3001

Phone: (03) 8391 3226
Email: medicalreview@roads.vic.gov.au
Web: https://transport.vic.gov.au/registration-and-licensing/licences/medical-conditions-and-reviews

Western Australia

Driver Services Department of Transport
GPO Box R1290
Perth WA 6844

1300 852 722

driverservices@transport.wa.gov.au www.transport.wa.gov.au

Driver Services Department of Transport
GPO Box R1290
Perth WA 6844

1300 852 722

driverservices@transport.wa.gov.au
www.transport.wa.gov.au

Appendix 9.2 Public passenger vehicle driver licensing and dangerous goods vehicle driver licensing enquiries

State/territory	Public passenger vehicle driver licensing enquiries	Dangerous goods vehicle driver licensing enquiries
Australian Capital Territory	Access Canberra Phone: 132281 Email: lara@act.gov.au Web: www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au	Dangerous Goods Transport WorkSafe ACT GPO Box 158 Canberra ACT 2601 (02) 6207 3000
New South Wales	Enrolment Processing Unit Transport for NSW Locked Bag 5310 Parramatta NSW 2150 1800 227 774	Department of Conservation and Environment PO Box A290 Sydney South NSW 1232 13 15 55 / (02) 9995 5555
Northern Territory	Commercial Passenger Vehicles Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics GPO Box 2520 Darwin NT 0801 (08) 8924 7580 cpv.admin@nt.gov.au	NT WorkSafe Department of Business GPO Box 3200 Darwin NT 0801 1800 019 115
Queensland	Operator Accreditation and Authorisation Team Department of Transport and Main Roads PO Box 673 Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 (07) 3338 4994 dgu@tmr.qld.gov.au	Industry Accreditation and Licensing Team Department of Transport and Main Roads PO Box 673 Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 (07) 3066 2995 PTStandards@tmr.qld.gov.au
South Australia	Accreditation and Licensing Centre Department for Infrastructure and Transport PO Box 9 Marleston BC SA 5033 (08) 7109 8117	SafeWork SA Attorney-General’s Department GPO Box 465 Adelaide SA 5001 1300 365 255
Tasmania	Driver Licensing Unit Registration and Licensing Services Department of State Growth GPO Box 1002 Hobart TAS 7001 (03) 6166 4866	WorkSafe Tasmania PO Box 56 Rosny Park TAS 7018 1300 366 322 (in Tasmania) / (03) 6166 4600 wstinfo@justice.tas.gov.au
Victoria	Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria GPO Box 1716 Melbourne VIC 3001 1800 638 802 (toll-free for fixed landlines only) contact@cpv.vic.gov.au cpv.vic.gov.au	WorkSafe Victoria Advisory Service GPO Box 4293 Melbourne VIC 3001 1300 852 562 licensing@worksafe.vic. gov.au http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/licensing/worksafe-licence-types-and-fees/application-for-a-dangerous-goods-driver-licence
Western Australia	Driver Services Department of Transport GPO Box R1290 Perth WA 6844 1300 852 722 driverservices@transport.wa.gov.au www.transport.wa.gov.au	Department of Consumer and Employment Protection, Resources and Safety Division 100 Plain Street East Perth WA 6004 (08) 9222 3333

Australian Capital Territory

Access Canberra Phone: 132281

Email: lara@act.gov.au

Web: www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au

Dangerous Goods Transport
WorkSafe ACT
GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601

(02) 6207 3000

New South Wales

Enrolment Processing Unit
Transport for NSW
Locked Bag 5310
Parramatta NSW 2150

1800 227 774

Department of Conservation and Environment
PO Box A290
Sydney South NSW 1232

13 15 55 / (02) 9995 5555

Northern Territory