2010 BC Guide in Determining Fitness to Drive

3.2 Risk managementPublic safety is the primary consideration when making driver fitnessdeterminations, but a degree of risk to public safety may be tolerated inorder to allow a broad range of people to drive.While public safety is the primary consideration in driver fitnessdeterminations, it is not the only consideration. In Grismer, the SupremeCourt of Canada indicated that people with some level of functionalimpairment may have a licence because society can tolerate a degree ofrisk in order to permit a wide range of people to drive. In its decision, thecourt states:“Striking a balance between the need for people to be licensed to driveand the need for safety of the public on the roads, [the Superintendent]adopted a standard that tolerated a moderate degree of risk. TheSuperintendent did not aim for perfection, nor for absolute safety. TheSuperintendent rather accepted that a degree of disability and theassociated increased risk to highway safety is a necessary trade-off forthe policy objectives of permitting a wide range of people to drive andnot discriminating against the disabled. The goal was not absolutesafety, but reasonable safety.” [para. 27] [emphasis added]To achieve this balance between road safety and an individual’s need todrive, OSMV applies a risk management approach to driver fitnessdeterminations. This means that, when making a driver fitnessdetermination, OSMV considers the degree of risk presented by anindividual driver. If OSMV’s analysis indicates a high degree of risk, theindividual is not fit to drive.How does OSMV determine the degree of risk presented by an individualdriver?Risk is often defined as a formula; that is, risk is the likelihood of anuncertain event multiplied by the consequence if the event were to takeplace. This means that a highly likely event with serious consequences isa greater risk than an unlikely event with minor consequences.Unfortunately, there are no reliable formulas to calculate risk as it relatesto fitness to drive. The impact of a medical condition may be specific toan individual and the ability to compensate for the medical condition mayalso vary by individual. As well, because the driving environment iscomplex and continuously changing, it is difficult to determine exactlywhat level of impairment means a person is not fit to drive.16