Fitness to drive assessment tools for medical referrals

The overall aim of fitness to drive assessment is to determine whether a driver with functional impairments will be able to drive a car, and where limitations are detected, determine how these can be compensated for. This synopsis reviews studies evaluating whether off-road assessment tools can replace on-road testing (at least partly) in this process. None of the evaluated tests (N=14) perfectly predicts driving performance. Thus none would be able to fully replace on-road driving assessment. Drive-Safe⁄DriveAware and SMC Tests have the highest reported sensitivity and specificity. These have the potential to eliminate the need for on-road testing for a substantial proportion of the tested drivers. However, replication studies are required, particularly because the results depend on the composition of the tested group.