Stringent medical checks needed before issuing driving licenses, say experts

With India accounting for the most road deaths globally in 2018 and 2019, one area of concern is the medical condition of those applying for driving licences. Two

With India accounting for the most road deaths globally in 2018 and 2019, one area of concern is the medical condition of those applying for driving licences. Two recent accidents in the city have highlighted the problem of driving licenses being issued to drivers with medical conditions that make them accident-prone.

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On August 31, Sameer Ali Sayyed, 46, drove his Maruti Suzuki Esteem into a restaurant on Carnac Bunder Street in South Mumbai, killing five and injuring three people. Sayyed had lost control of his vehicle because of an epileptic attack. Three months ago, in May, Sayyed had been in another accident when he had again lost control of his car and crashed into another vehicle, injuring one person. At the time, Sayyed had not revealed his epilepsy to avoid his license being suspended.

On October 20, bus driver Haridas Patil suffered a heart attack while he driving a Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) bus. He crashed into a signal near Chembur and damaged a small vegetable shop.

Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay, additional director general of state highway police, Maharashtra, said, “Although accidents due to unfit medical conditions of the driver may comprise a small portion in overall road accidents numbers, it’s a serious issue. Unfit medical conditions impact drivers physically as well mentally, and may [indirectly] contribute to circumstances that lead to accidents.”

India ranked first in road accident deaths across 199 countries in a 2018 report by World Road Statistics, followed by China and the United States of America.

A report in the same year by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 11% of all accident-related deaths globally were in India.

According to a 2019 report by the ministry of road transport and highways, there were 4,49,002 road accidents last year in India and 1,51,113 people were victims of road deaths.

The Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017, require that at the time of driving, a driver “is in full control of his physical and mental abilities and physically and mentally fully fit to drive a vehicle”.

Existing rules require applicants to compulsorily submit a self-declaration to prove they are of sound mind and physical fitness when being evaluated for a driving license for non-commercial vehicles.

Only those above 50 years must submit a medical certificate. Drivers of commercial or transport vehicles need to submit a medical certificate.

A senior transport official said on the condition of anonymity said that the existing procedure to check a driver’s medical fitness is ineffective. “After getting the license, a driver undergoes a medical examination for fitness only after five years, when renewing their license. What if he develops any serious medical condition in between?” said the officer.

Experts also pointed out that the regional transport office (RTO) does not inspect these documents rigorously and false certificates are easily supplied by agents working outside RTOs.

Vinayak Joshi, an expert in defensive driving, said, “Driving license seekers in Mumbai can easily get a medical certificate from a ‘doctor’ practising right outside the RTO office for just ₹50. Because of such unprofessional, unethical and corrupt practices, there is no strict scrutiny as far as the medical fitness of the applicant is concerned.”

Sanjay Sasane, deputy regional transport officer, Pune, said RTO officers should not be expected to evaluate an applicant’s physical or mental condition.

“Only medical professionals would be able to asses it,” he said.

Former director general of Maharashtra Police, Dr PS Pasricha, said the government should form a team to study the rules regarding assessing the fitness of a driver.

“There should be legal obligation on doctors to report unfit medical conditions of a driver to the RTO as a preventive measure, but then the matter of breach of privacy would arise. The issue needs some brainstorming to think of a solution.”

General practitioners (GP) in countries like Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Sweden are required to report at-risk drivers to the authorities.

“The road safety system in our country has always been affected by a very casual approach. There are some sections in the existing road transport laws and rules which need to be seriously looked
at and medical fitness certification is one of them,” said Pasricha.