Drivers face 10-year health checks under vehicle licence reforms
Drivers will have to declare every 10 years whether still medically fit to drive according to new proposals to be outlined in the New Year.
In a reform of current vehicle licensing laws, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will set a minimum standard of physical and mental requirements drivers must meet including eye tests and reaction times.
Tests, costing up £80 will be offered to check whether drivers are healthy, alternatively drivers can declare themselves fit but will be liable to prosecution if it is established otherwise.
In response to the proposed introduction of ten year health checks for all drivers, Robert Kingdom of fleet management specialists Masterlease, says that the government isn’t going far enough when it comes to the safety of the nation’s drivers.
“These checks will be repeated every ten years in order to reduce the number of unfit drivers on our roads.
“However this announcement is long overdue and doesn’t go far enough in ensuring the safety of all drivers. Statistics have shown that the over 70’s are three times more likely to be seriously injured or killed whilst driving than those aged 40-65. In 2006 the DVLA dealt with 600,000 motorists whose physical ability to drive had to be re-certified, a 20 per cent rise on the previous year. The question has to be how many motorists aren’t notifying the DVLA if their health changes, or if they develop new medical conditions?
“The fleet industry has led the way in assessing drivers’ fitness to drive with many companies insisting on regular eye tests as a minimum stipulation for drivers and setting out clear guidelines to drivers so they know which conditions may affect their ability to drive.
“Due to a lack of information it is often the case that serious conditions such as epilepsy are declared, but less serious illnesses such as sleep apnoea may not be revealed which may also have a knock on effect on insurance coverage.
“Masterlease uses an online risk management tool to help businesses understand their fleet drivers better. This tool looks at a broad range of factors including health and wellbeing and aims to highlight and address issues such as bad driving habits.
“The DVLA needs to strike a balance, mobility is an important personal freedom, but as drivers we all have responsibilities to society and the safety of other road users. If the government is really serious about driving down the number of road accidents in the UK then it take its cue from the fleet industry which has an established track record in risk management.”
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