Medical Conditions That May Affect Safe Driving

Medical advisors and administrators from all Canadian provincial and territorial driver-licensing bodies developed the medical standards used in Alberta. Alberta Transportation is responsible for determining driver fitness and making decisions regarding a person’s privilege to drive.

A person who holds or applies for a driver’s licence must immediately disclose to the Registrar a disease or disability that may interfere with the safe operation of a vehicle. A medical report is required when applying or renewing a Class 1, 2 or 4 commercial vehicle licence (see Driver Handbooks for details).

Commercial drivers require a higher level of fitness because of the nature of their cargo, types of vehicles being driven, nature of physical work, exposure due to significant number of kilometres driven and the consequence of a collision involving a large vehicle.

Some of the diseases or disabilities that may interfere with the safe operation of vehicles can be found in these categories:

  1. Vision (e.g. minimum correct vision, double vision, telescopic lenses)

  2. Hearing (e.g. vertigo, issues particular to commercial drivers)

  3. Cardiovascular Diseases (e.g. heart disease, heart attack)

  4. Cerebrovascular Diseases (e.g. stroke)

  5. Peripheral Vascular Diseases (e.g. aneurysm and veins)

  6. Diseases of the Nervous System (e.g. seizures, sleep disorders, dementia)

  7. Respiratory Diseases (e.g. lungs)

  8. Metabolic Diseases (e.g. diabetes, parathyroid, pituitary, adrenal)

  9. Renal Diseases (e.g. kidney)

  10. Musculoskeletal Disabilities (e.g. arms, legs, spine, paraplegia, quadraplegia)

  11. Psychiatric Disorders (e.g. mental, emotional, personality, psychotic)

  12. The Effects of Drugs (e.g. sedatives, tranquillizers, antidepressants, narcotics)

  13. The Effects of Alcohol (e.g. alcohol dependency)

  14. Aging Issues (e.g. loss of strength, slow reaction time, lack of attention, poor judgement, confusion, progressive dementia)

The presence of a related medical condition does not necessarily mean that a person’s ability to drive will be restricted. However, in order to determine the effect of the condition on driver fitness the department must review the related factors such as term of illness, treatment, medications and other factors.

To download this information in PDF format (pdf 169K)

For more information about medical standards for drivers:

Comprehensive summary of medical standards (pdf 14K)
CCMTA Medical Standards for Drivers (pdf 131K)

For more information, please contact:
Driver Fitness and Monitoring