• HEALTH POLICY & PRACTICE
• CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Being able to drive is integral to many aspects of life in many parts of the world, and is regarded very much as a right rather than a privilege. It is therefore not surprising that conversations during consultations about limiting an individual’s eligibility to drive can be challenging and sometimes heated. In this edition of Practical Neurology, Rees et al discuss many of these issues from the perspective of the UK national licensing panel (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, DVLA).1

When creating and implementing policy, there are several substantial challenges.

The first of these is to strike the appropriate balance between protecting the rights of the driver on the one hand and those of other road users and pedestrians on the other.

The second is to take heterogeneity adequately into account. Drivers are not uniform automatons, but vary in many ways (eg, age, driving experience, time spent driving per day, risk-taking behaviours, etc), which influences the risk they pose to themselves or others. Similarly, people with medical conditions that might affect their ability to drive safely are also heterogeneous. This heterogeneity poses a major challenge to those creating policy, which must be fair, consistent …