Foreword
The NZ Transport Agency and all those working in the health arena are well aware of the impact road crashes have on New Zealanders’ lives - the people injured, their caregivers, families of those killed, health professionals and emergency services workers who deal with the aftermath of a crash. We need to be confident, with so much at stake, that all the drivers on our roads are medically fit to control their vehicle, see other road users, make speed and distance judgements and react safely to a potentially hazardous situation.
Medical practitioners cannot assume that the driver licensing system will pick up individuals who are unfit to drive, so it is important that you consider medical fitness to drive in your everyday dealings with patients, not just when someone wants a medical or eyesight certificate for driver licensing purposes. Except for older drivers, most drivers are issued licences for 10 years. For those who develop some types of medical conditions, this is ample time for their condition to deteriorate to a point where they are unfit to drive.
Determining that someone is no longer fit to drive is a weighty responsibility, but the alternative is to allow them to continue to drive when they put their own and others’ lives at risk. Thankfully, health professionals are just as committed to road safety as we are. The relationship formed between the NZ Transport Agency and health professionals goes a long way towards ensuring that New Zealand's roads are safe for all to enjoy.
This document is intended to help you assess an individual's fitness to drive. We acknowledge that we could never comprehensively cover all the medical conditions that might affect a person's ability to drive - accordingly, this document is only a guide and should be treated as such.
Geoff Dangerfield
Chief Executive NZ Transport Agency
