Introduction

New Zealand's driver licensing system aims to make sure drivers are fit and competent to drive in order to minimise the number of people who lose their lives or are injured in car crashes. When an individual has a medical condition that affects their ability to drive safely, they are a risk to other road users as well as themselves.

Overseas reports vary as to how medical factors contribute to road crashes. In New Zealand, between 2003 and 2007, medical-related factors were cited as a contributing factor in crashes that killed 82 people, seriously injured another 459 people and caused minor injuries for another 1692. These figures are likely to underestimate the contribution of medical factors to crashes, as it can be difficult for the Police to determine when a driver has a medical condition, and if this contributed to a crash.

This guide is to help medical practitioners assess the fitness to drive of any individual. The responsibilities and obligations of medical practitioners, in both ethical and legal terms, are set out in the next section. Placing licensing restrictions on an individual is a serious matter, as may be the consequences of allowing an individual to continue to drive if they are unfit to do so.

We recognise that not all medical conditions, or all medical situations that individuals may face, can be included in a document of this nature and changes in practice and management may require revision of the advice set out.

These guidelines cover both private and commercial licence classes and endorsement types. Generally, the standards for commercial licence classes and endorsement types are higher than for private licence classes and endorsements in recognition of the greater road safety risks from commercial driving. Medical practitioners are reminded that special attention needs to be paid to applicants and holders of commercial licence classes for this reason.