Starting next year, Lithuanian drivers will be subject to a new procedure – the validity of the driver’s license will be linked to the validity of the medical certificate. The amendment to the Law on Safe Traffic for Cars on Roads, which was supposed to enter into force this year, has been postponed for a year – until 2025. January 1, Gjensidige says in a press release.
“Starting next year, following the expiration of the medical certificate, the validity of the driver’s license will also be suspended. After a health check and a medical certificate, the driver’s license will be automatically reinstated. The new order was supposed to come into force at the beginning of this year, but a transition period was set. If it was not approved, according to “Registro” data, regarding 263 thousand drivers would not have been able to get behind the wheel since the beginning of this year.
So, drivers have another six months to hurry up and contact their family doctors for a health check-up for their driver’s license,” says Viktorija Katilienė, Head of the Claims Department for the Baltic States of the insurance company Gjensidige.
According to her, the statistics of insured events show that if the driver’s health is impaired during traffic accidents, not only the disabled driver and his vehicle are affected, but also other road participants. “We have recorded cases when a car drives into the oncoming traffic lane, hits a vehicle driving in the same traffic lane in front of it or parked on the side of the road.
There are traffic accidents when the driver feels bad and the vehicle overturns following hitting another car. When the car he was driving crashed into a tractor-trailer parked at a stop due to the health disorder of the driver, the damages amounted to 14 thousand. EUR, if you drive to the side of the road and damage another person’s property – EUR 9,000. euros. The average damage of traffic accidents, when the event occurs due to impaired health of the driver, amounts to one thousand euros,” says the insurer.
She points out that in the event of a traffic accident when the validity of the driver’s license is suspended, the insurer that compensated the damage can make a claim to return the paid amounts. “Thus, failure to check the health of drivers can have not only formal administrative but also financial consequences,” says the representative of the insurance company.
Those who do not comply with the requirements are subject to administrative responsibility
According to V. Katilienė, the new procedure will reduce the number of traffic accidents that are caused by the health condition of drivers. “Practice shows that drivers cause traffic accidents due to vision or hearing problems, heart problems, and neurological or mental illnesses. Such traffic accidents increase in the warm season, when those drivers who do not drive due to more difficult traffic conditions in the cold season, take to the roads,” says the representative of the insurance company.
For drivers who want to know how long their medical certificate is valid, V.Katilienė recommends visiting the website of “Regitras” and, following confirming their identity, view the medical certificates.
The health certificate is valid for 10 years for non-professional drivers up to 65 years old, for five years from 66 to 79 years old, and for two years for those over 80 years old. For drivers working under employment contracts – truck, taxi, ambulance, special services and other drivers – up to 80 years old – two years, from 80 years old – one year.
Drivers who do not comply with the requirements are subject to administrative liability: a fine of 30 to 50 euros.
A small number of drivers are voluntarily checked
According to Veslava Buzan, a family doctor at the InMedica clinic, the health of drivers is directly related to traffic safety, as a person’s well-being affects their concentration of attention, coordination of movements and ability to drive safely. “All diseases that can cause sudden ailments increase the risk of traffic accidents. Most often, these are cardiovascular diseases, which cause sudden circulatory disorders, nervous system and other diseases that can cause sudden cerebral – brain – activity disorders,” says the family doctor.
However, according to V. Buzan, following the expiry of the validity of the medical certificate, a large number of patients visit the doctor out of duty, but not because they consciously want to check their health. “Drivers are often in a hurry because their license has already expired. You turn to the doctor who you can visit the fastest, not to your treating doctor,” says the doctor.
According to her, the preventive health check-up includes not only mandatory medical examinations, but also the stipulated responsibility to provide the doctor with all information regarding current or previous health disorders. “This makes it possible to determine the risk of possible diseases and properly assess a person’s ability to drive. The doctor may not have all the health data in the personal medical records. It is often used by patients trying to hide serious illnesses or ailments, especially when they turn to a doctor other than their treating doctor for a driver’s medical certificate,” says V. Buzan.
Although the health check-up, according to the family doctor, is relevant for everyone, it is especially important for drivers over the age of 50, as more health problems appear with age, which can also affect the ability to drive.
“Health certificates may not be issued to drivers in case of epilepsy, visual impairments, locomotor system ailments that endanger safe driving of a vehicle, as well as diseases that can cause sudden cardiovascular system disorders, such as severe arrhythmias. Driver’s licenses will not be issued to drivers suffering from certain mental illnesses or addictions,” emphasizes V. Buzan.
Correct information must be provided
According to her, a person may also not receive a certificate if he refuses to perform the necessary tests, does not provide the necessary information or lies regarding his health condition. “Not issuing a certificate is also possible due to unpredictable or acute health problems, especially if the existing condition can affect driving abilities in the short term. In such cases, the family doctor can stop issuing the certificate until the problem is solved or the person’s condition stabilizes,” says the family doctor.
According to V. Buzan, the majority of drivers are, unfortunately, irresponsible towards this inspection. “It is important not to postpone the driver’s health check to the last minute, this is especially relevant for those drivers who have chronic illnesses, as it is not uncommon for tests or specialist consultation to assess the ability to drive. Such an investigation can sometimes take up to several months. Regarding the issuance of a driver’s health certificate, you should contact your family doctor, because the doctor treating you will most accurately assess your ability to drive,” advises V. Buzan.
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2024-07-10 03:16:37
