Driving

Overview

People with Epilepsy can drive under certain conditions. 

Rules and regulations are determined by Austroads Australia. The Austroads document Assessing Fitness to Drive (epilepsy section) details the medical standards for licensing.

All licence holders should be advised of the following general principles for safety when driving.

  • The patient must continue to take anti-epileptic medication regularly when and as prescribed.
  • The patient should ensure they have had adequate sleep and not drive if they are sleep deprived.
  • The patient should avoid circumstances, or the use of substances (e.g. alcohol), that are known to increase the risk of seizures.

Assessing Fitness To Drive

AUSTROADS

Austroads is the peak organisation of Australasian road transport and traffic agencies.The organisation produces the document: Assessing Fitness to Drive, which includes the medical standards for licensing. This section includes guidelines for both the default standard and variations to the default standard (for example, Seizures in childhood, First Seizure, Epilepsy treated for the first time, Seizures only in sleep etc): 

 

OTHER RESOURCES

The Epilepsy Society of Australia and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists have created downloadable resources including an information brochure for patients with epilepsy on driving and an epilepsy and seizure data form for NSW patients including an algorithm (see links below). The Epilepsy Society of Australia has also published background information that summarises the issues involved for the doctor in relation to driver licensing of patients with epilepsy, available here.