Mirage News
Mirage News
Mirage NewsHealth17 Jul 2026 4:00 am AESTDate Time
Australian Medical Association
This week, we lodged a submission to the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) review of the Assessing Fitness to Drive (AFTD) standards to update the nationally agreed medical standards used by health practitioners and driver licensing authorities.
Fitness-to-drive assessments are among the most challenging responsibilities faced by general practitioners, who must balance patient independence, employment and quality of life with community safety, often in complex circumstances.
In our submission, we strongly supported maintaining nationally consistent, evidence-based standards while calling for greater recognition of the practical challenges involved in applying them.
We highlighted the need for improved access to specialist and on-road assessments, particularly in rural and regional areas.
We also called for stronger education and implementation support for practitioners, as well as further exploration of validated assessment tools that can assist clinical decision-making. The submission made it clear these tools should assist, not replace clinical judgement when considering cognitive impairment and uncertainty about functional capacity.
We also emphasised the impact fitness-to-drive decisions can have on the therapeutic relationship and recommended that future reforms be practical, consistent and capable of supporting both road safety and high-quality patient care.
Dr Monika Moy will represent the AMA on the NTC’s AFTD Review Advisory Group as this important work continues.
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