Driving Assessment Services

Who we are

In Newfoundland and Labrador, doctors are required by law to report any medical condition that may affect driving safety. (Highway Traffic Act Section 174.1) This may result in your driver’s license being suspended. If this happens you will get a certified letter from Motor Vehicle Registration to ask you to return your license. They will also tell you what you need to do to return to driving.

To determine if you are able to safely return to driving after your medical problem, your medical team may refer you for a driving assessment. The driving assessment service will send you a letter once a referral has been received. There is a waiting list for this assessment and you will be contacted by phone to book your appointment. This service is not covered under MCP and there is a fee for the testing.

What we do

We perform driving assessments. A driving assessment looks at your ability to safely return to driving after a medical event, or if there are concerns with driving safety. It is a two-part test which includes a clinical evaluation and a behind the wheel evaluation. It is completed by an occupational therapist who specializes in the area of driving. It is a two-part test which includes:

• • A clinical Assessment

This is one to two hours of testing that will check vision, strength, coordination, attention, memory, mental and physical reaction time, as well as knowledge of traffic signs. These are the skills that are needed to drive a car in traffic. We test some of these skills in written tests. These tests are not based on education levels.

• • A behind-the-wheel test

This is a one hour test behind the wheel. This may be done on a different day than the other part of your test. The occupational therapist and a driving instructor will be in the car with you and the vehicle will have an extra brake. When possible, you will drive places you would normally drive or roads with similar levels of traffic. All driving skills are assessed, including knowledge of rules of the road, physical ability to operate the vehicle as well as ability to interact with other traffic and pedestrians. Driving is not expected to be perfect, but must be safe in all situations.

Results
Results and the recommendations will be discussed with you and a family member after the road test. A written summary of this information will be provided.

The full report will be sent to Motor Vehicle Registration to make the final decision on licensing with a copy going to medical records and your family doctor.

Who we see

We see adults in which potential concerns have been identified regarding their ability to drive safely after a medical event. We also see individuals who require adaptive equipment in order to drive safely.

Our team

Our team includes an occupational therapist who specializes in the area of driving.

How to access this service

Clients can be referred for assessment by their physician or health-care professional by completing a referral.

Please note that driving assessments are not covered under MCP but can be claimed on your income tax as a medical expense. If your medical insurance has coverage for occupational therapy, it may also be partially covered by your insurance.

Clinical Assessment fee $110.00 — this is billed by mail after the assessment has been completed.

Road Test fee $125.00, $150.00 if equipment is required — this is paid directly to the driving school on the day of the road test.

Where we are

Room 117
Dr. L. A. Miller Centre
100 Forest Road,
St. John’s, NL
A1A 1E5

Hours of operation

Monday to Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

How to reach us

Telephone: 709-777-6560