This short article discusses some of the recommendations made in the draft of the commission of the European communities directive on the driving licence, which covered minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving a motor vehicle. Some recommendations are unduly restrictive; drivers with abnormalities of the locomotor system which makes it dangerous to drive would not be issued driving licences. This does not take into account the major advances in adapting cars for disabled people, which can compensate for many disabilities. The point is made that regulations for driving licence fitness must be kept under constant review. Examples cited are the recent recognition of the high prevalence of epilepsy following intracranial injury or surgery; the need to monitor drivers with aids for signs of early neurological damage which could impair their driving ability, and the decreasing risks to drivers from diabetes due to greatly improved diabetic management. Items that need to be clarified in any new legislation include minimum standards of eyesight and the methods used for testing this, the necessity for manufacturers to provide data on the effects of any new drug upon driving, and a standard method for the examination of the elderly, to ensure that driving skills are not deteriorating with age. (TRRL)
Language: en
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