Best practice criteria in practical driving tests of medically referred drivers

Abstract

Section 80 of the Motor Vehicles Act empowers the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to require drivers to undergo a practical test of their driving ability. These practical driving assessments (PDAs) are chiefly administered by Safety Education Officers (SEOs) employed by the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure. Given the importance of licensure for a person’s mobility and independence, PDAs must be of an excellent standard, producing valid and reliable outcomes for those who are assessed. Specifically, they must be structured so that they reliably produce the appropriate recommendations regarding each driver’s medical fitness to hold a driver’s licence. This report provides a review of the literature published prior to 2006 concerned with the best methods for assessing medical fitness to drive. This enables comparisons between the methods used in South Australia and the best-practice methods described in the literature, which, in turn, enables the identification of possible improvements that could be made to the South Australian system. Possible improvements to South Australian practice include the greater involvement of occupational therapists in the assessment process, the use of an interview and functional testing prior to the on-road test, the use of a dual controlled vehicle provided by the testing agency, a longer duration of the on-road test, the presence of a third party in the vehicle during an on-road test to take detailed scoring notes, and the provision of counselling and advice when necessary at the completion of an assessment.