If poor health affects your ability to drive safely, you need to evaluate your options as soon as possible in order to make an informed decision about the best way forward. Do you let your license expire? Should you switch over to a different class of driver? How do you let the government know about this change? There are many considerations to make and hoops to jump through, so what should you do if poor health affects your driving? This blog will give you all the information you need in order to make an informed decision that works best for your particular situation.
Understand how your condition affects your ability to drive
As you know, if you have a condition that impacts your ability to drive safely (like diabetes or heart disease), you may need to apply for the Medical Report of Fitness to Drive (MRFD) exemption from the RACQ.
However, if your condition only impacts driving occasionally and is not well-managed by medication or other treatments, then an MRFD exemption may not be necessary.
You will need to assess your own situation and decide whether it’s safe for you to continue driving on an occasional basis. If it is unsafe for you to drive with your condition more than occasionally but your condition does not impact your ability to work at all times then an MRFD exemption may not be necessary.
Discuss ways you can still drive with an experienced doctor
If you can’t drive due to poor health, it’s important to make sure you have access to a car. If public transportation is not an option for you and your spouse can’t take time off work to shuttle you around town, consider hiring someone with a driver’s license.
If driving has become too dangerous for you because of your illness or injury, then talk to your doctor about how that may affect your life as well as the lives of others. One thing you could do is hire an experienced doctor who knows how to drive safely if necessary.
However, there are other options if driving is too difficult. For example, a medical professional could come visit you at home on a regular basis or provide medical assistance over the phone in case of emergencies.
Check on other alternatives such as public transportation and taxis
If you are not able to drive for health reasons, there are a few options for getting around. The first option is to ask your friends or family members if they can help you out by driving you where you need to go. If this doesn’t work, then you can use public transportation such as buses and trains.
Taxis are also another option that people have used in the past. If none of these work, you could always hire someone who will come pick you up and take you where ever you need to go.
It’s also important that if poor health affects your driving, it’s important to tell your doctor so they can talk with their physician colleagues about what treatment might be available for individuals like yourself.
Understand the risks associated with unsafe driving
If poor health affects your driving, you may be at risk for dangerous incidents that could lead to accidents. If you know you will be unable to safely operate a motor vehicle due to a medical condition or disability and can’t find someone to drive for you, it’s important to notify your insurance company so they can help make sure you have the coverage you need. In addition, if the law allows it in your state or country, consider registering your car as uninsurable with the DMV.
- Understand the risks associated with unsafe driving
- If poor health affects your driving, notify your insurance company
- If the law allows it in your state or country: register as uninsurable with DMV
Recognize that it is possible to live with a medical condition and still drive
If poor health affects your driving and you are a safe driver with a valid driver’s license, it may be possible to live with a medical condition and still drive. There are some considerations you should make if this is the case:
- Consider the severity of your condition. If the condition does not impair your driving abilities and it is manageable with medication or other treatments, then it may be possible to continue driving. If the condition has no known treatment or is more severe, then it would not be recommended to drive in any circumstances.
- If your doctors recommend that you do not drive for safety reasons, consult an attorney about obtaining disability benefits from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Consult an attorney about obtaining disability benefits from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If the condition has no known treatment and it is more severe, then it would not be recommended to drive in any circumstances.
- If your doctors recommend that you do not drive for safety reasons, consult an attorney about obtaining disability benefits from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI).
Work with your doctor on reducing risk while still getting where you need to go
If you have poor health and find it affects your driving, you should work with your doctor to reduce the risk of an accident while still getting where you need to go. If possible, ask a friend or family member if they can help you drive.
If that doesn’t work out, try ride-sharing services like Lyft or Uber. If all else fails and your doctor has determined that there is too great of a risk of harm to yourself and others while driving due to your poor health condition, consider taking public transportation as a last resort! For example, if someone has serious asthma, the best solution may be for them to take their bike or scooter instead of their car.
