A suggested management strategy

Raise the topic of driving with all patients with cognitive impairment or dementia early. Involve family members in the discussion.

Advise the patient that it is their legal responsibility to report any serious, permanent or long term condition that may impair driving ability to VicRoads.

• If safety is an immediate concern, you should consider reporting directly to VicRoads. In Victoria, health professionals who do this in good faith are protected from civil and criminal liability.
• Refer to 'VicRoads Reporting and Assessment Process'.
• Inform the patient that everyone with dementia will eventually need to stop driving. See ‘Transition to Not Driving’.
• If the patient wishes to continue driving, assess their fitness to drive.

The view a diagram summarises the management pathway click here (adapted from Dementia Australia).