1 - Introduction - CCMTA Medical Standards

1.1 Purpose of this part

The medical conditions chapters in this part of the document:

  • Identify what medical conditions may have an impact on an individual’s fitness to drive
  • Highlight the risk of impairment and crash associated with certain medical conditions
  • Identify compensation strategies, devices and/or training that may be used to compensate for the effects of a medical condition on driving, and
  • Include driver fitness standards to assist authorities in determining whether an individual with a medical condition should be licensed and, if so, the appropriate reassessment interval.                                                                                                             

1.2 Source of the medical condition chapters

The medical standards in this part were taken from the CCMTA Medical Standards for Drivers March 2017.

Although no jurisdiction in Canada is legally required to adopt the CCMTA standards, the majority are adopted by the driver fitness authorities. This achieves a uniformity of standards across Canada which supports both road safety and inter-provincial harmonization.

To support a consistent approach to driver fitness across the country, British Columbia has adopted the CCMTA Medical Standards for Drivers.

All medical standards, and subsequent changes, contained in Part 3 of this document are approved by all jurisdictions through a ballot process which requires a two thirds majority for approval

1.3 Medical Condition chapter template

Below is the template used for the medical condition standards chapters.  It is annotated to explain what type of information is found in each section of the template.

Name of Medical Condition

About medical condition

Information about the medical condition to assist driver fitness authorities in understanding and applying the guidelines for assessment.

Prevalence

Information about the prevalence of the medical condition, which is relevant to the frequency that it may appear as an issue for licensing.

Medical condition and adverse driving outcomes

Conclusions on the general findings of research on the link between the medical condition and adverse driving outcomes.

Effect on functional ability to drive

Information on the specific effects of the medical condition on the functional abilities needed for driving.  This section includes the following table:

Condition Type of driving impairment and assessment approach Primary functional ability affected Assessment tools
The medical condition and any distinct presentations or variations of the condition Whether the functional impairment is persistent or episodic, and whether a medical assessment and/or functional assessment is required The primary functional abilities affected by the medical condition: cognitive, motor, or sensory The assessment tool to be used, e.g. cognitive on-road assessment

Compensation

Information about whether or not a driver can compensate through the use of strategies or devices for the functional impairment caused by a medical condition.  Treatment for a condition, e.g. medication, is not a type of compensation.

Guidelines for assessment

This section names the medical condition and any distinct presentations or variations that require an individual standard.  A standard may be for all licence classes (non- commercial classes 5-7 and commercial classes 1-4), for non-commercial drivers only, or for commercial drivers only.

Additional background information about the medical condition may be included here to help provide context for the standard and other information in the table, below.

National Standard The requirements that must be met in order to be licensed
BC Guidelines
  • The assessment tools RoadSafetyBC may use if further information is required, to make a licensing decision.
  • Where applicable, specific requirements that must be met in order to be licensed in BC are outlined
Conditions for maintaining licence Description of any conditions RoadSafetyBC may require for maintaining a licence in BC
Restrictions Description of any appropriate restrictions RoadSafetyBC may impose on an individual’s licence.
Reassessment
  • Description of a suggested period on how often an individual will be reassessed after being found eligible for a licence
  • Where applicable, RoadSafetyBC will determine appropriate re-assessment interval on an individual basis
  • Where a reassessment period is mandatory it is also reflected in the standard
  • Where there is no particular reassessment period for the medical condition, then reassessment is “routine”
Information from health care providers
  • Description of any information about the medical condition or functional ability that an authority usually requests when applying the standard. This information will come from medical and functional assessments and is supplied by from physicians, driver rehabilitation specialists or other health care providers.
  • Specific information that may be requested includes a professional’s opinion regarding:
  • whether the individual has insight into the impact their medical condition may have on driving
  • whether the individual is compliant with their current treatment regime
  • if known or applicable, whether the individual is compliant with any current conditions for maintaining a licence
Rationale A brief description of the rationale for the guide