Assessing fitness to drive (for medical professionals)

Facts and forms for medical professionals assessing fitness to drive or reporting an unsafe driver.

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Who can make an assessment?

As a medical professional, you play a vital role in road safety by assessing people's fitness to drive. You can assess a person's fitness to drive in NSW if you're a registered medical practitioner or specialist. This includes general practitioners, specialists, optometrists, ophthalmologists and allied health professionals. We cannot accept assessments made by a registered nurse.

How to complete the form

You can securely complete and submit the form through your practice management software or online on the Healthlink portal, making it quick and convenient for your patient. Otherwise, the patient must present you with a paper form they've obtained from Service NSW. They will also need to return it to a service centre for the information to be securely transmitted to Transport for NSW.

The forms used are:

  • NSW Fitness to Drive Medical Assessment
  • Specialist Medical Assessment
  • Medical Condition Notification
  • Vision or Eye Disorder Medical Assessment
  • Occupational Therapy Driver Assessment.

Use these systems and sites to access and complete the forms online if already registered with HealthLink:

If not registered with HealthLink, contact HealthLink via their website to register:

Use these guides to help you complete the forms online.

Occupation-based quick reference guides

System-specific SmartForm guides

How to assess the patient

When assessing the patient, you should consider:

  • the relevant standards in Assessing Fitness to Drive (Austroads) (see Standards below)
  • their suitability to hold a driver licence under legislated requirements
  • public safety and ethical considerations
  • relevant clinical and functional information.

Only include medical information relevant to the person's fitness to drive on the form.

When you finalise the form, check your provider number is included.

You can complete and submit the form online so Transport for NSW receives the results quickly and securely.

If the form is paper, remind the patient to take the completed form to a service centre.

Standards

You need to assess a patient's fitness to drive based on relevant medical standards.

The Assessing Fitness to Drive guidelines have been adopted by all Australian licensing authorities when assessing fitness to drive.

If your recommendations conflict with these standards and or Transport medical review and licensing schemes, they may not be implemented.

Reporting a medical condition or unsafe driver

If you find a patient's medical condition could affect their ability to drive safely:

You can report directly to Transport for NSW without the patient's cooperation. Such cases may include when the patient:

  • is unable to appreciate the impact of their condition
  • is unable to take notice of your recommendations due to cognitive impairment
  • continues to drive despite your advice, and is likely to endanger the public.

You can submit a Medical Condition Notification Form online through your practice management system or the HealthLink portal.

Alternatively, email a completed Medical Condition Notification Form to medicalunit@transport.nsw.gov.au.

In NSW, health professionals who make a report without their patient’s consent, but in good faith, are protected from civil and criminal liability.
 

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