New Zealand has a driver licensing system in place that 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 the contribution of medical factors to road crashes. In New Zealand, between 1996 and 2000, medical-related factors were cited as a contributing factor in crashes that killed 123 people, seriously injured another381 people, and another 1208 drivers received minor injuries. 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 assist medical practitioners in assessing the fitness to drive of any individual. The responsibilities and obligations of medical practitioners, both in ethical and legal terms, are set out in the next section.It is recognised 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. 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.These guidelines cover both private and commercial licence classes and endorsement types. Generally, the standards for commercial licence classes and endorsements 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. (A)
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