Driving Assessments & Rehabilitation

Driving is one of the most important occupational performance tasks for maintaining independence and staying connected with family and friends. It is a skill often taken for granted, yet losing the ability to drive can have a profound impact on a person’s life. At Regenerate OT, we are committed to supporting our clients to live enriched, meaningful lives, and we recognise that driving plays a pivotal role in helping individuals remain as independent as possible.

 

The purpose of an Occupational Therapy Driving Assessment is to assess whether a person’s medical condition is impacting on their ability to drive. 

 

Requirements before completing Driving Assessment: 

• A Medical Referral is required by a registered GP outlining fitness to drive. This should include any relevant information that may impact on ability to drive including your medical condition, past medical history and medications that might interfere with driving. 

• Drivers License – you must have a current and valid driver’s license . 

 

 

What is involved in an Occupational Therapy Driving Assessment?

 

• Comprehensive off-road assessment – to determine if the client is an appropriate candidate for completing an on-road assessment. This process includes:

  • An initial interview to gather information about:

    • Medical history

    • Medications

    • Driving history

    • Reason for requiring license

    • Psychosocial status

  • Physical assessment 

  • Cognitive/perceptual assessment

  • Vision screening

  • An assessment to determine if additional equipment or modifications are required to perform the on-road assessment. Modifications may include:

    • Spinner knob – if unable to safely operate vehicle using two hands

    • Hand Controls – if unable to safely operate vehicle using lower limbs

    • Left foot accelerator pedal – if unable to safely operate vehicle using right foot 

    • Specialised mirrors – to improve visibility where there is vision loss

• Comprehensive on-road assessment – completed with a Qualified Driving Instructor in the front seat (dual controls) and Occupational Therapist in the back seat 

  • A driving route will be established prior to the assessment and will be graded in difficulty based on the traffic conditions.

  • The Occupational Therapist will be recording driving performance throughout the assessment and feedback will be provided in collaboration with the Driving Instructor at the end of the assessment. In some cases where more information needs to be gathered about the results of the on-road assessment, feedback will be sent via email.

• The Occupational Therapist will then formulate a report to provide to the client’s GP based on the outcome of the assessments.  The GP will then make the final decision in relation to whether the client is able to drive. 

• The possible outcomes of the driving assessment include:

  • Is safe and able to drive ("Pass") - medical condition is not impacting on driving performance​

  • Requires a series of lessons to learn to use vehicle modifications or to improve driving performance 

  • License is cancelled ("Fail") - medical condition is impacting on driving performance

  • Is safe and able to drive with certain restrictions on their license (i.e. automatic vehicle only)