Driving Assessments
WIDE BAY THERAPY
Wide Bay Therapy is the only local provider offering Driving Assessments and Vehicle Modification services.
Christine is an Accredited Driving Assessor Occupational Therapist and can complete a range of assessments required to gain your licence, review your driving abilities, or recommend modifications and licence endorsements.
Driving assessments are necessary to assess your fitness to drive. You may have been referred for a driving assessment by your GP or other specialist.
Some medical conditions, disabilities or age have the potential to impact your ability to drive safely in the community. The driving assessment is completed by an Accredited Occupational Therapist who has undertaken extensive clinical education to provide a standardised approach to assessment.
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This assessment will determine if a medical condition, injury or disability impacts your ability to drive safely. It assesses you against the Austroads QLD Transport driving standards. This assessment comprises of two parts:
Off-road assessment. This is completed in the clinic or home and includes an interview regarding your medical history and driving experience. It will also include a screening assessment of your physical abilities, vision and cognition. Allow between 1.5 and 2 hours for this process.
On-road assessment. This is completed in the driving school’s vehicle with dual braking. The Driving Instructor will give you directions to drive over a 1 hour period. The Occupational Therapist will sit in the back passenger seat, recording everything that occurs during the drive.
After the assessment, you will receive feedback and the outcome immediately. We will then provide you with a comprehensive OT report describing the recommendations. These may include driving lessons, vehicle modifications, or changes to your licence status.
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This assessment will determine if any medical condition or age-related changes are impacting your ability to drive safely and in accordance with the Austroads QLD Transport driving standards. The assessment will help your GP or specialist determine if medical clearance can be provided to enable you to continue driving. This assessment comprises of two parts:
Off-road assessment. This is completed in the clinic or home and includes an interview regarding your medical history and driving experience. It will also include a screening assessment of your physical abilities, vision and cognition. Allow between 1.5 and 2 hours for this process.
On-road assessment. This is completed in the driving school’s vehicle with dual braking. The Driving Instructor will give you directions to drive over a 1 hour period. The Occupational Therapist will sit in the back passenger seat, recording everything that occurs during the drive.
After the assessment, you will receive feedback about how you went on the drive. We will then provide your GP with a comprehensive OT report describing the recommendations.
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Young people with a disability or medical condition may require a driving assessment to determine their fitness to drive, according to the Austroads QLD Transport driving standards. Wide Bay Therapy works with many young people on the autism spectrum, with other neurodivergent diagnoses (anxiety, ADHD, Tourette’s), intellectual impairment, and physical and psychosocial disabilities. A driving assessment will determine if you have the capacity for independent and safe driving and if you require vehicle modifications or specialised driving lessons.
To complete this assessment, the following is required:
Must hold your Learner’s driving licence.
Must have medical clearance from your GP or treating specialist and a valid Medical Certificate completed (QLD Transport Medical Certificate for Motor Vehicle Driver F3712).
Preferably have up to 20 hours of driving experience in your logbook.
This assessment comprises of two parts:
Off-road assessment. This is completed in the clinic or home and includes an interview regarding your medical history and driving experience. It will also include a screening assessment of your physical abilities, vision and cognition. Allow between 1.5 and 2 hours for this process.
On-road assessment. This is completed in the driving school’s vehicle with dual braking. The Driving Instructor will give you directions to drive over a 1 hour period. The Occupational Therapist will sit in the back passenger seat, recording everything that occurs during the drive.
After the assessment, you will receive feedback about how you went on the drive. We will then provide your GP with a comprehensive OT report describing the recommendations.
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People with physical disabilities can drive independently with the appropriate vehicle modifications to enable safe control over and access to the vehicle. Wide Bay Therapy can complete assessments, trials and recommendations for modifications to support the driver or the passenger. This may include hand controls, spinner knobs, left-foot accelerator pedals, wheelchair access (hoists/lifts), access ramps, turn-out lowering seats, wheelchair accessibility and security (docking stations/transit points).
This process usually requires trials, assessment of the person requiring the modifications, assessment of the vehicle, and consultation with the vehicle modifiers/engineers. The Occupational Therapist will write a comprehensive Vehicle Modification application outlining the recommendations, which will be submitted to the funding body for approval.
-
This assessment will determine if a medical condition, injury or disability impacts your ability to drive safely. It assesses you against the Austroads QLD Transport driving standards. This assessment comprises of two parts:
Off-road assessment. This is completed in the clinic or home and includes an interview regarding your medical history and driving experience. It will also include a screening assessment of your physical abilities, vision and cognition. Allow between 1.5 and 2 hours for this process.
On-road assessment. This is completed in the driving school’s vehicle with dual braking. The Driving Instructor will give you directions to drive over a 1 hour period. The Occupational Therapist will sit in the back passenger seat, recording everything that occurs during the drive.
After the assessment, you will receive feedback and the outcome immediately. We will then provide you with a comprehensive OT report describing the recommendations. These may include driving lessons, vehicle modifications, or changes to your licence status.
-
This assessment will determine if any medical condition or age-related changes are impacting your ability to drive safely and in accordance with the Austroads QLD Transport driving standards. The assessment will help your GP or specialist determine if medical clearance can be provided to enable you to continue driving. This assessment comprises of two parts:
Off-road assessment. This is completed in the clinic or home and includes an interview regarding your medical history and driving experience. It will also include a screening assessment of your physical abilities, vision and cognition. Allow between 1.5 and 2 hours for this process.
On-road assessment. This is completed in the driving school’s vehicle with dual braking. The Driving Instructor will give you directions to drive over a 1 hour period. The Occupational Therapist will sit in the back passenger seat, recording everything that occurs during the drive.
After the assessment, you will receive feedback about how you went on the drive. We will then provide your GP with a comprehensive OT report describing the recommendations.
-
Young people with a disability or medical condition may require a driving assessment to determine their fitness to drive, according to the Austroads QLD Transport driving standards. Wide Bay Therapy works with many young people on the autism spectrum, with other neurodivergent diagnoses (anxiety, ADHD, Tourette’s), intellectual impairment, and physical and psychosocial disabilities. A driving assessment will determine if you have the capacity for independent and safe driving and if you require vehicle modifications or specialised driving lessons.
To complete this assessment, the following is required:
Must hold your Learner’s driving licence.
Must have medical clearance from your GP or treating specialist and a valid Medical Certificate completed (QLD Transport Medical Certificate for Motor Vehicle Driver F3712).
Preferably have up to 20 hours of driving experience in your logbook.
This assessment comprises of two parts:
Off-road assessment. This is completed in the clinic or home and includes an interview regarding your medical history and driving experience. It will also include a screening assessment of your physical abilities, vision and cognition. Allow between 1.5 and 2 hours for this process.
On-road assessment. This is completed in the driving school’s vehicle with dual braking. The Driving Instructor will give you directions to drive over a 1 hour period. The Occupational Therapist will sit in the back passenger seat, recording everything that occurs during the drive.
After the assessment, you will receive feedback about how you went on the drive. We will then provide your GP with a comprehensive OT report describing the recommendations.
-
People with physical disabilities can drive independently with the appropriate vehicle modifications to enable safe control over and access to the vehicle. Wide Bay Therapy can complete assessments, trials and recommendations for modifications to support the driver or the passenger. This may include hand controls, spinner knobs, left-foot accelerator pedals, wheelchair access (hoists/lifts), access ramps, turn-out lowering seats, wheelchair accessibility and security (docking stations/transit points).
This process usually requires trials, assessment of the person requiring the modifications, assessment of the vehicle, and consultation with the vehicle modifiers/engineers. The Occupational Therapist will write a comprehensive Vehicle Modification application outlining the recommendations, which will be submitted to the funding body for approval.
Driving Assessment FAQ’s
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Your GP will refer you for a driving assessment if you have a medical condition or disability, or if you are over the age of 75. You will be assessed if your condition, disability or age impacts your ability to drive safely.
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Our Wide Bay Therapy driving assessment referral form needs to be completed by your GP or specialist, and any relevant medical history and medication information must be included. The QLD Transport Medical Certificate for Motor Vehicle Driver form (F3712) also needs to be completed by your GP.
You will require a valid driver’s licence and may also require an Optometrist report (for clients over 75 or those with a vision or neurological disorder). The referral is not accepted and added to the waitlist until all paperwork has been received.
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If you have a medical condition that has the potential to impact your ability to drive safely, QLD and Australian legislation requires you to have a medical clearance to drive. This is called Jet’s Law. Your GP or specialist may request a driving assessment and place a restriction on your driver’s licence – that is still valid, but subject to the conditions of the a QLD Transport Medical Certificate.
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Driving assessments are a standardised, highly skilled process that requires specific training and expertise. Your Occupational Therapist has invested significant time and money into developing this high-quality service. The process includes three hours of assessment, payment for the driving instructor and car usage fees, completion of a comprehensive report and correspondence of your report to all relevant stakeholders.
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The off-road assessment (interview, based in the clinic) can take up to two hours. The on-road assessment will take one hour.
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Once payment is received for the cost of the assessment and report, the report will generally be available within 48 hours of the assessment.
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That depends on your specific situation. If your GP has placed you on a restriction while waiting for your assessment, then you must not drive.
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You should start having a conversation with your GP or Paediatrician about your teenager’s potential for obtaining their driver’s licence around the age of 15 or 16. If your teenager is able to independently gain their Learner’s licence, you should obtain a referral from your GP for a driving assessment. It is preferred that the learner driver has 10 – 20 hours of driving practice in their logbook before their driving assessment is completed. This will enable the occupational therapist to determine if they are tracking along as expected, or the teenager is having some difficulties learning the skills to drive.
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Your OT will provide a detailed report back to your GP, outlining the challenges that were identified during the assessment. You are encouraged to discuss this outcome with your GP, but the results are final. You are welcome to seek a second opinion, but this will incur an additional cost.
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Your OT has recommended a number of driving lessons to improve your driving skills. The driving lessons will need to be stated as a line item in your NDIS report so you can utilise NDIS funding for the lessons. This will require a plan modification/change so your OT can submit your report to the NDIS for approval. Please note that, at times, it can take some time for the NDIS to do this. Once your lessons are stated in the plan, you or a support person are responsible for booking the lessons.
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