Medical aspects of fitness to drive

A guide for medical practitioners

• Medical aspects of fitness to drive (PDF, 827 KB, 75 pages)

New Zealand’s driver licensing system 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.

This guide is to help medical practitioners assess the fitness to drive of any individual. The responsibilities and obligations of medical practitioners, in both ethical and legal terms, are set out in the next section. 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.

Last updated: 28 August 2009