Discover the Top 5 Critical Signs a Consumer’s Driving Skills Could Be a Major Safety Risk!

Discover the Top 5 Critical Signs a Consumer’s Driving Skills Could Be a Major Safety Risk!

1. Age, although age alone is not a determining factor;
2. Frailty;
3. Reduced Reaction times;
4. Recent hospitalisation or change in capacity;
5. Observation (by others or themselves) that driving competency has diminished.

An Occupational Therapy (OT) Driving Assessment will put your mind at ease.

This service is for aged care consumers and NDIS participants. All licence holders have a legal responsibility to notify VicRoads of any medical condition that may impact their ability to drive. This process can be instigated by a doctor, allied health staff, family or the person.

Before an OT can assess functional fitness to drive, a doctor must first complete a Vic Roads Medical Report stating that the person is medically fit to drive. Sometimes a VicRoads eyesight report is also required.

There are two components of the assessment, and these are usually completed on separate days:

The Off-Road assessment consists of:

1. An interview to collect information regarding your medical and driving history including medications.
2. A vision and hearing screen
3. A physical, sensory and cognitive assessment including road law test.
4. Planning for the on-road assessment.

This appointment will usually be completed at the consumer’s home.

The On-road assessment:

1. May be completed from the consumer’s home or a meeting place as advised by OT.
2. The On-road assessment is always completed in a dual-control car provided by a driving instructor.
3. The Occupational Therapist sits in the back seat and observes the consumer’s driving. If a person only drives an automatic car, then an automatic car will be booked.
4. If a person wants to be able to continue to drive a manual car, then a manual car must be booked for the assessment.

Feedback is provided immediately after the assessment.

The OT may recommend:

1. The consumer is safe to continue normal driving.
2. A local area conditional licence may be recommended.
3. Remedial driving lessons may be required followed by a further on-road assessment.
4. Car modifications ie hand controls, spinner knob, or a left foot accelerator may be required. Training will be provided and support to have these modifications installed in the consumer’s own car.
5. Sometimes it is recommended that a person should cease driving.

Further information is available on the Vic Roads website.

Only OT’s with an extra qualification specifically for driving assessments can complete these assessments.

Our specialist OT Lynne Fricke has 24 years of experience completing OT Driving Assessments for Alfred Health.

Click to book an OT Assessment for your consumer or call (03) 9558 9111.