1. Professional driving - why is your health important?
2. What are the driver medical standards?
3. When do the commercial driver medical standards apply?
4. What type of health problems might affect your fitness to drive?
5. What about fatigue?
6. Who makes the rules about whether or not you are well enough to drive?
7. How are the driver medical standards used?
8. What are your legal responsibilities?
9. What if you have a temporary health problem?
10. What changes have been made to the driver medical standards?
11. What is a conditional licence and how will it affect your work?
12. Will your doctor notify the Driver Licensing Authority if you are not fit to drive?
13. What happens if you don't follow your doctor's advice?
14. What can an operator do if they are concerned about a worker's fitness to drive?
15. Can an operator contact a your doctor directly if they are concerned that you are not fit to drive?
16. Can an operator contact the Driver Licensing Authority to confirm your current medical certificate?
17. Can an operator select a doctor to perform health assessments for fitness for duty?
18. Do the responsibilities of owner-drivers differ from those of other operators?
19 Are you concerned about a work colleague and their safety on the road?
20 How often do you have to have a medical examination?
21. Need more information?

Professional driving - why is your health important?

Driving any motor vehicle requires:


• constant attention;
• good judgement;
• appropriate responsiveness; and
• reasonable physical capability.

All of these can be affected by the driver's physical and psychological health. Commercial vehicle driving involves additional demands due to the vehicle itself (size, load etc), the responsibility for passengers, the demands of work schedules, the distances travelled and so on. Your health is therefore important for public safety and for your own safety on the road. For more detailed information on driving and you're health visit: http://ntc.gov.au/ViewPage.aspx?page=A02211406400250624

What are the driver medical standards?

Medical standards for drivers exist in order to facilitate management of drivers' health and thus support road safety. They are used by general practitioners and medical specialists when assessing fitness to drive.

National health standards (Assessing Fitness to Drive 2003) identify medical conditions that are likely to affect safe driving. The health requirements are higher for commercial vehicle drivers because of the increased risks involved in driving heavy vehicles, passenger vehicles etc.

When do the commercial driver medical standards apply?

Assessing Fitness to Drive contains two sets of medical standards - private vehicle driver standards and commercial vehicle driver standards.
The commercial standards apply to:


• Drivers of 'heavy vehicles' i.e. those holding or applying for a licence of class MR (Medium Rigid), HR (Heavy Rigid), HC (Heavy Combination) or MC (Multi-combination).
• Drivers applying for an authority/already authorised to carry public passengers for hire or reward (bus drivers, taxi drivers, chauffeurs, drivers of hire cars and small buses etc).
• Drivers applying for an authority / already authorised to carry bulk dangerous goods.
What type of health problems might affect your fitness to drive?

A number of medical conditions could affect your ability to perform your work safely. Some of these are described below.
The good news is that most of these conditions can be effectively treated so that you can continue to drive. The important thing is to see your doctor and have any health problems diagnosed and managed early, so that you can reduce your risk.

Sleep disorders
Sleep disorders disturb your normal sleep patterns and can result in sleepiness when driving. Some disorders have been found to increase the rate of crashes by seven fold. (For more information see Fact Sheet 2 - Sleep Disorders and Driving).

Vision problems
Good vision is vital for safe driving. You need to be able to detect other vehicles and pedestrians, as well as any hazards on the road.

Heart Disease
Heart and blood vessel disease is a risk because of possible loss of consciousness or collapse at the wheel. (For more information see Fact Sheet 5 - Heart and Blood Vessel Disease).

Diabetes
The main risk for drivers with diabetes is a loss of consciousness due to lack of control of their condition. The effects of diabetes on other parts of the body such the eyes and heart may also affect driving ability in the long term. (For more information see Fact Sheet 4 - Diabetes and Driving).

Epilepsy
If epilepsy is untreated or poorly controlled it can result in loss or awareness, loss of consciousness and loss of control of the body. These effects are not compatible with safe driving.

Blackouts and fainting
Blackouts and fainting will clearly affect your ability to control a vehicle.

Psychiatric disorders
Mental illness (e.g. depression, schizophrenia, panic attacks etc) can result in significant changes to your behaviour. If untreated this can increase the risk of a crash by affecting concentration, decision-making and various other important aspects of the driving task. For more information see Tool Box Talk and Fact Sheet 8 - Mental Illness and Driving).

Age-related decline
Getting older does not necessarily mean that your driving will be affected, however you should be aware of changes such as reduced vision and hearing, reduced reaction times and limited movement.

The good news is that most of these conditions can be effectively treated so that you can continue to drive. The important thing is to have them diagnosed and managed early to reduce your risk.



What about fatigue?

Fatigue is another important consideration for driver and public safety, and it is an issue closely linked to health.
Fatigue is the feeling of being tired, drained or exhausted. It results in poor judgement and slow reactions. It also affects your driving skills.
Fatigue can result from long or difficult work and little or poor sleep. It can also be influenced by health and emotional factors.
Management of your health, including management of any health condition you might have, is therefore important in reducing the risk of fatigue. For more information about Fatigue and Driving, see the Fact Sheet and speak to the responsible person at your workplace.

More information will also be available upon release of the Fatigue Code of Practice in 2005.



Who makes the rules about whether or not you are well enough to drive?


The rules about health and driving are developed by medical experts and are agreed by all Driver Licensing Authorities. Your doctor does not make the rules but provides advice, based on the standards, about how your particular health condition might affect your ability to drive safely and how it might be managed.

The Driver Licensing Authority always makes the final decision about your licence status and will consider the advice of your doctor as well as other factors such as your accident history and the type of vehicle you drive (for example a truck, car, or a public passenger vehicle).



How are the driver medical standards used?


The driver medical standards define the health requirements for safe driving and are used by doctors when assessing fitness to drive.

Doctors will refer to the standards when undertaking an assessment for a Driver Licensing Authority, for example a regular assessment required for public passenger vehicle licensing.

Doctors will also refer to the standards when undertaking health assessments at the request of an operator, in order to determine fitness for duty.

Your local GP will also refer to the standards in your day-to-day treatment, so that they can advise you about how your health might affect your driving ability and therefore your work.

It is important that you tell your doctor that you are a commercial vehicle driver.



What are your legal responsibilities?


Drivers have responsibilities under Road Safety laws and Occupational Health and Safety laws.
1. Road Safety law
   Road safety laws in all States and Territories except Western Australia, require all drivers, including drivers of private and commercial vehicles, to report to the Driver Licensing Authority any permanent or long-term illness that is likely to affect their ability to drive safely.
   Your doctor is able to advise you about whether you should be reporting a health condition to the Driver Licensing Authority. If you hold a commercial vehicle licence you should therefore tell your doctor so that he or she can assess the impact of your health on your ability to drive safely.

2. Occupational Health and Safety laws
   Under health and safety laws you have a duty of care to yourself, the public and fellow workers and must not knowingly place yourself or others in a situation where health and safety is at risk.
   This means that if you develop an illness which could affect your ability to drive safely, either in the short or long term, you are obliged to tell your employer so that they may arrange alternative duties and support appropriate management of your illness until such time you are fit to return to work. Your employer may require you to have a health assessment to determine your fitness for duty before you resume work.

   Under privacy legislation you are not required to tell your employer the nature of your health condition but the employer is able to request that you attend a health assessment to determine your fitness for duty.




What if you have a temporary health problem?

Temporary health problems can occur at any time and may prevent you from driving in the short term. For example, following an anaesthetic your doctor will advise you not to drive for 24 hours or so. An injury, such as a broken leg may also prevent you from driving.

In these circumstances your doctor will advise you about the need to restrict your driving in the short term and to advise your employer. Your employer may require you to have a health assessment to determine your fitness for duty before you resume work.

Generally, only longer-term conditions will impact on your licence status and will need to be reported to the Driver Licensing Authority.


What changes have been made to the driver medical standards?

Conditional Licences

Treatment advances in recent years mean that many medical conditions can be well managed and drivers can remain on the road, perhaps on a conditional licence. Conditional licences are not a new feature of the licensing system, however the revised standards place greater emphasis on the use of conditional licences as a means of balancing safety requirements with the needs of drivers.

A conditional licence means that the person may continue to drive as long as certain conditions or restrictions are met and as long as their health does not pose an increased safety risk. "Conditions" may include seeing their doctor more regularly for a check-up to make sure their illness is well managed and that they are still safe to drive. The simplest and most frequent "condition of licence" is a requirement to wear corrective eye glasses/contact lenses when driving.

In most cases conditional licences for commercial vehicle drivers will require approval from a specialist medical professional. This reflects the increased risk of commercial driving and the importance of ensuring the driver's health is well managed.

If you are issued with a conditional licence it is your responsibility to comply with any driving restrictions or other conditions and to be reviewed by your doctor as required.
Provided there are no restrictions that affect your job tasks, a conditional licence should not affect your employment status as a driver.

Changes to Colour Vision requirements

The revised standards also reflect changes in the working environment. Colour vision is a particular example. Since the introduction of the revised standards in 2003, colour vision deficiency no longer prevents a person from holding a heavy vehicle licence. This is because engineering improvements (eg brighter lights) and the positioning of the coloured lights (red on top, green on the bottom) have been shown to be adequate for safety.

Some drivers may require colour vision for other tasks, but this will be assesses at the workplace and is not a licensing issue.

Should a licence holder commit repeat offences for running red lights or be involved in repeat rear-end crashes, the status of their colour vision may be examined.



What is a conditional licence and how will it affect your work?

In some cases a person with a health problem may be given a "conditional licence". This means that they person may continue to drive as long as certain conditions or restrictions are met and as long as their health does not pose an increased safety risk. "Conditions" may include seeing their doctor more regularly for a check-up to make sure their illness is well managed and that they are still safe to drive. The simplest and most frequent "condition of licence" is a requirement to wear corrective eye glasses/contact lenses when driving.

In most cases conditional licences for commercial vehicle drivers will require approval from a specialist health professional. This reflects the increased risk of commercial driving and the importance of ensuring your health is well managed.
If you are issued with a conditional licence it is your responsibility to comply with any driving restrictions or other conditions and to be reviewed by your doctor as required.


Provided there are no restrictions that affect your job tasks a conditional licence, should not affect your employment status as a driver



Will your doctor notify the Driver Licensing Authority if you are not fit to drive?


The relationship between you and your doctor is confidential, therefore your doctor will not normally communicate directly with the Driver Licensing Authority. He or she will provide you with advice about your ability to drive as well as with a letter or report to take to the authority.

In South Australia and the Northern Territory, however, doctors are required by law to report drivers who they believe to be medically unfit to drive to the Driver Licensing Authority.
It is your responsibility to report your health condition to the Driver Licensing Authority (this requirement does not exist in Western Australia).



What happens if you don't follow your doctor's advice?


If you continue to drive despite your doctor's advice and you do not report to the Driver Licensing Authority or to your employer, you are not fulfilling your legal responsibility. If you have a crash under these circumstances you may be prosecuted and your insurance will not be valid.

If your doctor is aware that you are continuing to drive and feels that your driving is a serious risk to you and other road users, he or she may feel obliged to report directly to the Driver Licensing Authority. Your employer may also do the same.

In South Australia and the Northern Territory, however, doctors are required by law to report drivers who they believe to be medically unfit to drive to the Driver Licensing Authority.


What can an operator do if they are concerned about a worker's fitness to drive?

If an operator is concerned that a driver's health may be posing a risk to themselves, other workers or the public, they may request the driver have a health assessment. Such requirements should be clearly outlined in the organisation's policies and procedures, including criteria for such determinations by the operator.


Can an operator contact a your doctor directly if they are concerned that you are not fit to drive?

The relationship between a person and their own doctor is a confidential one, thus it is not possible for an operator to contact your treating doctor. If an operator is concerned that your health may be posing a risk to yourself, other workers or the public, they may request you to have a health assessment. Such requirements should be clearly outlined in the organisation's policies and procedures, including criteria for such determinations by the operator. The results of such a health assessment will only be communicated to the operator in terms of their fitness or otherwise for duty. The examining doctor should not provide details of your medical condition for reasons of privacy.


Can an operator contact the Driver Licensing Authority to confirm your current medical certificate?


In some States, systems have been introduced whereby operators can contact the Driver Licensing Authority to confirm the licence status. This can usually only take place however with the driver's consent. For more information contact your local Driver Licensing Authority.


Can an operator select a doctor to perform health assessments for fitness for duty?

If an operator has in place a system of periodic health assessments to monitor fitness for duty (such as that required by some accreditation programs), they may select an appropriate health professional to conduct the assessment. The health professional should be familiar with the job requirements of the driver, the organisation's policies and procedures and the driver medical standards (Assessing Fitness to Drive 2003 or other as defined by the operator).


Do the responsibilities of owner-drivers differ from those of other operators?

No, owner-drivers have the same responsibilities.


Are you concerned about a work colleague and their safety on the road?

If you know someone whose health might be affecting their ability to drive safely, it is important that they speak to their doctor. It may be that, with appropriate treatment or driving restrictions, they can continue to drive on a conditional licence.


How often do you have to have a medical examination?

Requirements for medical examinations vary depending on the type of licence or certification required (for example public passenger vehicle drivers require regular medical examinations at the time of renewal of their certification). The requirements vary between the States and Territories. For more information, contact:

- the Driver Licensing Authority in your State or

- the Public Passenger Licensing Authority or

- the Dangerous Goods Licensing Authority


Need more information?

For more information about driving and your health and how this may affect your career speak to:

- your employer and/or your occupational health and safety officer;

- the Driver Licensing Authority in your State or Territory;

- your local doctor; and

- your union.

also see the Fact Sheets on this web site