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Supporting patients through driving retirement.
Retiring from driving is a major life transition — and all stages of it can be stressful. This page brings together guidance for wellbeing and mental health, the Austroads fitness-to-drive guidelines, and the ACT referral pathway.
Wellbeing and Mental Health.
Retiring from driving is a major life transition, and like all transitions, can be associated with significant stress. While stress is normal, it can also be a risk factor for mental health problems, leading to difficulties with mood and relationships. It is very important to assess mental health (mood, sleep, diet, interest, activities, etc.) when working with older people, especially those experiencing major life transitions.
It is essential that health professionals working with people retiring from driving are aware that all stages of the journey towards driving retirement can be stressful, and so can the period of adjustment that occurs after stopping driving. A person’s mental health should be monitored when considering driving retirement, when driving is ceased, and in the months afterwards – each can be periods at which stressors emerge. It is especially important to monitor a person’s wellbeing if they have not passed a medical assessment and a restriction or cancellation is implemented, as a loss of perceived agency is likely to be an additional stressor.
It is also essential that health professionals remember that inquiring about a person’s mood alone is not sufficient to identify mental health problems. Older adults are somewhat less likely to report mood problems, and yet their quality of life may still be impacted by other aspects of anxiety or depression. It will be important to inquire about relationship quality, daily living, relationship quality, sleep, and diet in addition to mood.
Health professional can use various screening tools to assist. Their own organisation and professional associations may be able to assist in identifying appropriate screening tools, as adult or geriatric tools may be more appropriate, depending on the person and context.
Some general guidance about screening tools for depression and anxiety among older adults can be found here.
Guidelines & professional development.
Health professionals have a responsibility to advise patients about the impact of medical conditions on their driving. Health professionals may be requested to assess a patient’s fitness to drive by a driver licensing authority. Austroads has detailed resources and information relating to the assessment of fitness to drive, including resources specifically for health professionals.
Austroads have developed an education module for general practitioners to support fitness to drive assessments. The module builds foundational knowledge on how medical conditions, injuries, and disabilities may affect the driving task, as well as the principles that underpin the assessment and management of fitness to drive. It outlines key practice steps, communication approaches, and options for maintaining safe driving, including conditional licences, driving adjustments, and, when necessary, planning for a supported transition away from driving.
Referral & reporting.
Drivers are responsible for reporting medical or health conditions to Access Canberra. For drivers of heavy vehicles, medical practitioners, occupational therapists, optometrists, physiotherapists, and psychologists are required to report the medical fitness of drivers. Read more about these requirements here.
If you have concerns about a patient’s fitness to drive, you should communicate with your patient about these concerns. You may also refer your patient to the Fitness to Drive Medical Clinic for further assessment.
Fitness To Drive Medical Clinic.
Conducts fitness-to-drive assessments. Medical practitioners can refer patients to the clinic. Patients do not need to pay for this service.
Read more about the Fitness to Drive Medical Clinic here.
Referral is made through the Road Transport Authority by email RUSMedicals@act.gov.au or call (02) 6207 7002. Detailed information about referrals can be found here (login required).
Drivers aged 75 years and older.
All drivers aged 75 years or older are required to submit yearly medical assessments to Access Canberra. These medical assessments need to be completed by their doctor.
Read more about medical conditions and fitness to drive here.
Point patients to the interactive learning.
The Thriving Without Driving interactive learning helps patients adjust to the prospect of stopping driving and plan for a future without it — free, with no sign-up, and designed to be completed at their own pace.