Guidelines will not take elderly off roads: RSA

The Road Safety Authority has reassured elderly motorists and drivers with a medical condition that new guidelines on medical fitness are not designed to put them off the road.

RSA chief executive Noel Brett said the guidelines would help clarify issues for doctors in advising patients about their fitness to drive and their requirements for reporting concerns to the driving licensing authority.

The RSA, in association with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, yesterday launched the country’s first medical fitness to drive guidelines. They deal with a number of issues, such as vision problems, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, substance abuse, sleep disorders, and psychiatric conditions.