2010 BC Guide in Determining Fitness to Drive

1. A Supreme Court of Canada decision established the requirement toindividually assess drivers. The ‘Grismer’ 1 case held that each drivermust be assessed according to the driver’s own personal abilities ratherthan presumed group characteristics.2. OSMV has adopted a functional approach to driver fitness. Thismeans that OSMV assesses the impact of a medical condition on thefunctions necessary for driving when making driver fitnessdeterminations. The functions necessary for driving are described in3.3. Where a medical condition results in a persistent impairment ofthe functions necessary for driving, OSMV bases its driver fitnessdetermination on the results of functional assessments that observe ormeasure the functions necessary for driving. If the impairment isepisodic, the impact of the medical condition on the functionsnecessary for driving cannot be functionally assessed and OSMV basesits driver fitness determination on the results of medical assessments.These concepts are explained fully in 6.5.3. OSMV has increased its emphasis on using research evidence, where itexists, as the basis of its driver fitness policies. Each medicalcondition in Part 3 of this Manual is included because the bestavailable evidence shows that the medical condition causesimpairment of one or more of the functions necessary for driving orhas been associated with an elevated risk of crash or impaired drivingperformance. This information has been drawn from the integrativereview performed by Dr. Bonnie Dobbs and documented in her reportMedical Conditions and Driving: Current Knowledge 2010 (pending).1 British Columbia (Superintendent of Motor Vehicles) v. British Columbia (Council of Human Rights), [1999] 3S.C.R. 8684