Doctors stress ‘fitness to drive’ importance

A COMBINATION of bad eyesight, memory loss, lack of concentration or high blood pressure are some of the more common reasons that patients are refused “fitness to drive” certificates by their GPs.

Doctors say that it is often a mixture of smaller medical problems which can pose a higher risk than more traditional and serious problems such as angina. They have warned however that it is up to patients to regularly check with doctors if any medication or illnesses could impair their ability to drive.

According to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), many doctors have not received formal training on fitness to drive assessments even though it is a “bread and butter” issue for them in their working lives.