iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
The Met Department forecasts generally fair weather, with partly cloudy conditions at times
KT APPDOWNLOAD
RTA Mulls Making Health Declaration Must
The Roads and Transports Authority (RTA) is planning to make it mandatory for drivers, both professional and non-professional, to declare their health condition at the time of licence procurement and renewal.
The plan, still in early stages of preparation, could be implemented at the federal level if approved. Ahmed Behroozian, RTA’s head of licensing, told Khaleej Times, “This is to ensure road safety for both the drivers and pedestrians.”
A British consultancy hired by the RTA has submitted a number of recommendations pertaining to medical conditions and how they could affect a driver’s fitness to drive.
As per the plan, professional drivers will be required to undergo the process every five years, non-professional drivers ever 10 years, he said.
“Most probably the new licensing requirements will only be for people in a certain age category,” Behroozian said. “We have to know from a medical perspective as to how capable they are of driving.”
Those suffering from epilepsy, fits or blackouts, giddiness, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, sleep apnoea, memory loss and other debilitating conditions will have to declare so.
Those implanted with cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, those with a history of alcohol or drug dependence, and those who have undergone major surgery will also need to make the declaration. Eye test reports are already a licensing requirement by the RTA.
Such requirements are commonplace in several countries, explained, Nick Sanders, Driver Training Specialist at RTA’s Licensing Agency.
“There are a number of such restrictions in Europe,” he said. “For example, people above 67 are limited to certain geographical areas, since they could be suffering from dementia.”
In Britain — a model the UAE hopes to follow — drivers are required to sign personal declaration forms. Sanders said the conditions were even stricter in Spain and included psychological and physical testing.
“The drawback in such forms is that a person could be dishonest in expressing his condition,” said Sanders. “And compulsory medical tests can deprive many people of their licences.”
A better solution, he said, would be to conduct regular driving assessments and also regulate medical centres and specialists by asking them to refer people with special conditions to the licensing authority.
More news from
Studies indicate that approximately 28.2% of schoolgoing children and 34.7% of adolescents in the UAE are classified as overweight or obese
The consistent rise in rentals over the past three years has boosted property owners’ income
The athlete's proactive approach includes a balanced diet and carefully regulating his insulin pump to prevent drops in blood sugar during training
Some say the congestion starts as early as 6.30am and lasts until late morning
Passengers booked on these services are being assisted with travel arrangements, the airline said
Spot gold prices hit record high of $2,635.29/oz
UniCredit CEO Orcel aims to build Europe's biggest bank