Citation

Hoffmann-Born H. Blutalkohol 2004; 41(6): 22-24.

Affiliation

Medizinisch-Psychologisches Institut, TUV-Hessen, 60489 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A decline in, or lack of, fitness to drive as a result of poor health is a problem which does not attract a great deal of public interest. However, this problem is of great importance not only to the individual concerned but is also of increasing significance to society as a whole, not least as a result of the increasing number of older drivers and drivers suffering from more than one ailment. Daily check up of patients with ailments affecting their ability to drive is an important part of the workload in the surgeries of GPs and in the clinic, since doctors have a professional obligation to find out whether drivers are fit to drive, if they wish to avoid running the risk of legal liability. There are set medical and psychological self-assessment tests and procedures available to assist ill drivers to determine whether they are fit to drive. These tests and procedures help doctors to attend to the individuals concerned with a professional approach and to conduct detailed assessments, thereby making a contribution to road safety.