Heavy Vehicle OT Driving Assessment Sydney

Are you a commercial truck or heavy vehicle driver that needs your medical fitness to drive assessed? Have you been referred for an OT driving assessment for your medical condition? Our team of driver trained occupational therapists can help you to navigate this process and ensure your driving safety.

Who needs a Heavy Vehicle OT Driving Assessment?

f you have a medical condition or sustained an injury potentially affecting your driving, and hold any of the licence classes below, you may require a Heavy Vehicle OT Driving Assessment:

• Light Rigid (LR)
• Medium Rigid (MR)
• Heavy Rigid (HR)
• Heavy Combination (HC)
• Multi Combination (MC)

Common conditions that may require an assessment include:

• Limb amputations
• Brain or head injuries
• Cardiac disease
• Stroke
• Neurological disorders
• Cognitive conditions e.g. dementia, Alzheimer’s or intellectual disability
• Mental health issues
• Physical disabilities
• Autism

What does a Heavy Vehicle OT Driving Assessment involve?

The assessment involves two parts (each taking 1 hour):

1.Off-road test: An occupational therapist will examine your visual, cognitive, and physical capacity to determine any considerable deficits that may impact on driving.

2.On-road test: You will drive the truck with a heavy vehicle drivinginstructor for 1-2 hours. The OT will focus on how your medical condition may be affecting driving skills to ensure it meets RMS standards.

After the assessment, you will be informed of the outcome by the occupational therapist. The possible outcomes include:

Pass: Your condition is not determined to be affecting your driving competency, and you can safely return or continue to drive.

Fail: Your condition is assessed to be adversely affecting your driving ability and the OT may recommend cancellation of your commercial vehicle license. However, it may be possible to keep your class C license.

Retake: You technically fail the assessment, but the OT determines that you may be able to improve your driving skills and re-take the assessment. Usually, the OT will recommend driving lessons and/or vehicle modifications, followed by re-doing the on-road driving assessment.