2010 BC Guide in Determining Fitness to Drive

Policy rationaleBecause individuals with episodic impairments are not continuouslyimpaired, case managers and adjudicators cannot make determinations forindividuals with episodic impairments based on evidence of functionalimpairment. Instead, they must rely on a risk analysis that takes intoaccount the probability and consequence of impairment when making adriver fitness determination for an individual with an episodic impairment.To assist case managers and adjudicators in performing this analysis, themedical condition guidelines for medical conditions that result in episodicimpairments incorporate expert opinion regarding the risk of functionalimpairment.7.4 Making driver fitness determinations for individuals whosecognitive ability to drive may be persistently impairedPolicy7.4.1 If collateral information and cognitive screening indicate that theindividual’s cognitive function is sufficient to safely drive, aDriveABLE assessment will not be required.7.4.2 If an individual passes a DriveABLE in-office assessment orDriveABLE on-road evaluation, the individual’s cognitive functionis sufficient to drive safely.7.4.3 If an individual fails a DriveABLE on-road evaluation, theindividual’s cognitive function is not sufficient to drive safely andthe individual is not fit to drive.Policy rationale6, Ccognitive screening tests and DriveABLE assessments are used toidentify impairment of cognitive ability to drive. This means that driverfitness determinations for individuals whose cognitive ability to drive maybe persistently impaired can be based on the results of these assessmentsalone, unless the individual also has possible impairment of their motor orsensory functions.55