Drivers need good vision, physical ability, and cognitive capacity to undertake the complex task of driving a motor vehicle. Driver health and fitness to drive is therefore an important factor in supporting the safety of Australians who use the roads.
The national driver medical standards Assessing Fitness to Drive set out the considerations and medical criteria for safe driving. They also guide the management of drivers with health conditions so that they may continue to drive for as long as it is safe to do so.
The standards are used by health professionals to assess and manage patients with health conditions that may affect their ability to drive safely. These assessments and the standards themselves inform Driver Licensing Authority decisions about driver licensing.
The standards are also applied more broadly towards monitoring and managing commercial vehicle driver fitness for duty. Assessments conducted for this purpose may be a feature of employer work health and safety programs or industry accreditation schemes.
The standards have been approved by Commonwealth, state and territory Transport Ministers.
This edition came into effect on 22 June 2022.
