Your fitness to drive affects the safety of other road users because your health affects your perception, response time, ability to control the vehicle, and ability to judge situations. In March 2012 new medical standards came into effect for all drivers whether in a private or commercial vehicle. This is a substantial document that you can view here if you are a health professional such as an optometrist, physiotherapist, or psychologist, as it explains how to assess a person’s fitness to drive. It is the document that your doctor will use if you have a medical issue that might affect your driving.
But if you’re a driver, you need an overview to understand whether you need to see a doctor or specialist.
The Important Health Conditions that can Impair your Driving
blackouts and fainting
cardiovascular (heart) disease
diabetes
musculoskeletal conditions
neurological conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, and cognitive impairment due to other causes
psychiatric conditions
substance misuse/dependency
sleep disorders
vision problems
age-related decline – changes in motor, cognitive and sensory abilities together with degenerative disease
temporary injuries such as broken bones
pain, e.g. post-surgery
pregnancy (if it causes hypertension or faintness, or is post-caesarian section)
some multiple conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and paralysis of any part of the body
The above conditions will not necessarily affect your ability to drive; they might just mean you need to see a doctor or specialist more frequently, possibly take medication to mitigate the effects of the condition, or restrict your driving, for example, during the day only. For some conditions which are likely to worsen such as macular degeneration or dementia, eventually, you may not be able to drive, so you will need to regularly see your doctor get this assessed.
Contact us for a quick demo or 14-day trial to know more about our Best vehicle tracking system and how we can help in connecting your assets in real-time to the internet. We will love to help you out managing and maintaining your Autonomous Vehicles. Visit our FAQ page for some frequently asked questions on fleet management.
Fleet Management Software | Critical IoT Asset Management | Driver Monitoring | Fuel Monitoring | Crash Detection | Pay As You Drive | Vehicle Tracking System | Condition Monitoring | Remote Monitoring | Route Optimization Software | Automated Dispatch management Software | Routing Software