The current Assessing Fitness to Drive guidelines will be updated using the latest medical research and data
The National Transport Commission (NTC) is conducting a formal review of the medical standards that apply to truck drivers and rail safety workers in Australia.
It aims to bring these important safety guidelines up to speed with current medical knowledge and the way road and rail networks are being used today.
NTC chief executive officer Paul Retter says the Assessing Fitness to Drive Guidelines and the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers were last reviewed in 2012 and a new update would be timely.
“We regularly review the medical standards to make sure they are up to date with the latest medical evidence and reflect the needs of drivers and safety workers,” he says.
The review will take into account: advances in medical knowledge and practice; changes to the driving or rail operating environments; stakeholder feedback (including problems faced by medical professionals currently testing staff); and findings from recent inquiries.
Safety will remain the most important consideration, Retter says.
“This review will measure and analyse any risks that people with certain medical conditions might pose to the safety of our transport networks, but it will be a balanced approach that takes people’s transport needs into consideration,” he says.
“We think the current guidelines are working well but it pays to check that view against the latest evidence, particularly when community safety could be affected.”
Updates on the review process are available via the NTC website.
Photography: Brad Gardner