Roads and Transport Authority Dubai is considering the introduction of legislation for driver medical fitness. The move follows an accident which led to the death of two people and left 5 injured. The cause of the accident was a driver who suffered an epileptic attack while on the road.
Current procedures require bus, truck and taxi drivers to undergo an annual medical test as part of job qualification. The test will soon become compulsory for personal chauffeurs as well.
The following afflictions can cause a person to be disqualified as a professional driver: epilepsy, hypertension, cardiac ailments and certain extreme cases of diabetes, dementia, and some psychiatric disorders.
The lack of such procedures in place for regular motorists is what has led RTA’s Licensing Agency to introduce legislation for driver medical fitness. The problem lies in finding a way to identify the health condition of individual drivers. RTA intends to work with the federal government and Dubai Health Authority to determine the means of legally obtaining medical information of private motorists.
The CEO of Emirates Driving Institute, Ahmad Hashim Behroozian suggests that UAE, following the standards of most western countries, should make it mandatory for drivers to declare their medical condition. For example, in the state of New York, USA, it is a criminal offence to not inform licensing authorities about any health condition which may make the driver unfit for the road.