Driving assessments

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 50, No. 10, December 2008, Page 550 Letters
By: Rodney Glynn-Morris, MD,

I read the article in the Medical Post (26 September 2008) about problems with physicians assessing their patients’ ability to drive when often there are mixed feelings be­tween loyalty to patients and sparing the lives or skins of other road users.

There are two solutions. The cost of running a car—insurance, repairs, fuel, and depreciation—has been calculated as $7000+ a year. You can buy a lot of taxi rides for that!

Anybody over 75 who chooses to spend that sum on a car should be able to afford proper testing, both by an independent physician (not the attending physician!) similar to those designated by Transport Canada to assess mariners and pilots ($171 in BC), as well as having a practical road test ($50 in BC). Of the two, the practical road test would probably save more lives and accidents!

—Rodney Glynn-Morris, MD
West Vancouver

Rodney Glynn-Morris, MD,. Driving assessments. BCMJ, Vol. 50, No. 10, December, 2008, Page(s) 550 - Letters.


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