Driving is complex.

People consider driving as one of their most valued everyday activities. However, driving is complex and therefore easily disrupted by illness, injury or age-related changes. Drivers with multiple medical conditions, particularly when older, are more likely to make driving errors and to be involved in crashes. Many drivers have medical conditions (e.g. strokes, brain injury or dementia) that can affect driving safety.

Quality screening tools are required.

Medical practitioners and other health professionals require first-level, evidence-based driver assessment screening tools to allow them to accurately identify patients who are either clearly fit or unfit to drive, avoiding unnecessary referral to specialist driver assessment services for these groups.

On-road assessments, usually conducted by occupational therapists with specialist qualifications, are considered optimum for determining fitness to drive because driving performance is assessed in a real traffic environment. However, it is not practical for all drivers who have a medical condition to undergo an on-road assessment due to cost, waiting times, and a limited number of qualified assessors.

This is why DriveSafe Diagnostics is committed to developing and supporting driver screening products which have been well researched, with evidence of predictive validity and sound psychometric properties, and that are practical for medical practice.