Fitness to drive

Background

The Road Safety Authority have produced an excellent "Sláinte agus Tiomáint 2025" document detailing information for doctors and others regarding a patient's fitness to drive.

Just a few points:

You have an ethical and legal duty to maintain patient confidentiality.

A doctor's duty is to:

• Assess the person’s medical fitness to drive based on the current Sláinte agus Tiomáint medical standards
• To advise the person regarding the impact of their medical condition or disability on their ability to drive and recommend restrictions and ongoing monitoring as required
• To advise the person of their responsibility to report their condition to the NDLS if their injury or illness may affect their ability to drive
• Where a doctor is of the opinion their patient is continuing to drive when advised not to do so, they should submit a NDLS medical report form (D501) deeming the patient unfit to drive with a cover email stating their concerns to medicalfitness@rsa.ie or phone the RSA 096 25000 and the RSA will engage with the patient on the matter. Please CC email yourself to ensure you keep a copy

There is a difference between the restrictions on Category 1 (car, motorbike, tractor) and Category 2 (bus, lorry etc) licence holders.

Please read the document but it is very comprehensive so I have added a few links to specific recommendations for different groups of conditions below.

Conditions

Links

• RSA "Medical Fitness to Drive" page (updated 2025)
• NDLS medical report form D501, or a local (fillable) copy
• NDLS advice for patients after injury / splint etc.
• NDLS Patient Leaflets on Health and Driving
• For independent assessments try http://www.southernmobility.ie/html/assessments.html