Commercial Drivers Medical - Assessing Fitness to Drive

Driving a vehicle is a privilege that can impact upon the lives of yourself and others. Anyone who drives a vehicle for work has legal responsibilities to uphold with regards to their health. All States and Territories in Australia require employees to report health conditions which may impact on their ability to drive safely. The ultimate goal of these laws are to protect human life and to ensure everyone returns home safely.

As an occupational driver, it is your responsibility to self-reflect on how your current health may affect your driving ability. This includes any permanent or long-term illnesses, including drug and alcohol use. Under State and Territory laws, you are required to report such illnesses to the Driver Licensing Authority prior to licence issue.

Regardless of your perceived ability, driving is a complex task which requires a certain level of fitness. Being fit to drive means having good perception, judgement, responsiveness and physical capability. Additionally, occupational driving places extra demand on the driver such as work schedules and the transport of dangerous goods. Therefore, if you are not deemed fit to drive, your ability to undertake your work safely is compromised. Medical conditions which may affect your safe driving include:

• Blackouts
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
• Neurological conditions such as Epilepsy or seizures
• Musculoskeletal conditions
• Psychiatric disorders
• Substance misuse
• Sleep disorders
• Vision problems

Reporting conditions such as the above does not necessarily mean that your licence will be taken away or not issued. However, it does mean that the Driver Licensing Authority can work with you and your doctor for the best possible outcome. As mentioned above, it it your responsibility to report all illnesses to your State or Territory Driver Licensing Authority. Responding dishonestly to questions in your medical will only hurt yourself in the long run.

Conditional Licences

If you have declared a medical condition, you may be issued with a conditional licence. A conditional licence allows you to continue to drive as long as certain conditions are met. For example, driving may only be permitted when corrective lenses are worn in the case of vision issues. In other cases, you may be required to undertake regular medical reviews, with the results forwarded to the Driver Licensing Authority. You will be able to drive if you meet specific conditions and attend medical reviews, where deemed necessary. Should you be issued with a conditional licence, it is your duty to comply with all requests, or you risk cancellation.

How can KINNECT help?

KINNECT offer commercial drivers medical across Australia. Our health professionals identify any health or medical conditions that may impair your driving ability. During these medicals, KINNECT may provide recommendations on your ‘Fitness to Drive’ certificate for the Driver Licensing Authority’s evaluation. However, your application outcome will be decided by your State or Territory Authority and not KINNECT or your employer.

Please note that for this assessment it is important to bring glasses, if you use them. Please do not wear contacts as we will check both corrected and uncorrected vision. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, please bring any relevant and current documentation.

A commercial drivers medical should be conducted every 3-5 years, depending on the state and territory of application. Individuals who hold a medium rigid (MR), heavy rigid (HR), heavy combination (HC) or multiple combinations (MC) licence type must undertake medicals. Public passenger vehicle drivers also fall under commercial standards.

State and Territory Laws

Queensland 

New South Wales

Victoria

Tasmania

South Australia

Western Australia

Australian Capital Territory

Northern Territory

Reference

Austroads 2019, For Commercial Drivers https://austroads.com.au/drivers-and-vehicles/assessing-fitness-to-drive/for-commercial-drivers