February 2010
Fitness To Drive
If any of your drivers develop a medical condition which could affect their driving, by law they must inform the DVLA. They must also let the DVLA know if a medical condition it has already been told about gets worse. If they are not sure whether or not to tell the DVLA about a medical condition, they should consult their GP. He or she is expected to give advice on whether your driver should drive while medical enquiries are being made.
However, most health professionals are unable to distinguish reliably between medically unfit drivers, borderline drivers and fit drivers. Doctors receive little training on the medical aspects of patients' fitness to drive (FTD). According to a government-commissioned report, most doctors are aware of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's medical standards on FTD but they showed poor knowledge of how the standards applied to specific conditions.
Where does this leave the employer? As usual, you are on your own but with the assistance of ROSPA we have produced a fact sheet to provide guidance and which includes a 'Company Driver Fitness to Drive Policy' and 'Drivers Pre-Employment Check List'
The system is supposed to work in the following way. The Secretary of State has appointed a number of advisory panels to provide expert advice on the medical standards required for safe driving. There are separate panels covering the major medical conditions/disorders. The panels consist of experts in their medical field and meet on a regular basis and will review the standards in the light of medical research and advancements in medical science.
Responsibility rests with the Medical Advisers at DVLA to apply these standards and decide whether a person is fit to drive. The law governing the issue of driving licences is contained in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999.
To learn more, contact us now for the full fact sheet sheet 'FITNESS TO DRIVE' and send it to your relevant company car and van drivers.
Knowledge does save lives.
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