Stricter driving license approvals enforced against people with 10 medical conditions

[webfact]

Stricter driving license approvals enforced against people with 10 medical conditions

BANGKOK, 8 September 2014 (NNT) - The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has added a new list of ten serious medical conditions that may seriously affect one’s driving ability.

DLT Director-General Atchatike Rattanadilok Na Phuket revealed that he has attended a meeting with relevant agencies on finding ways to enforce stricter regulations against people suffering from ten medical conditions before granting them a driving license.

Initially, the department has only listed five diseases that were considered dangerous to obtain a driving license. However, the rules have changed recently in order to ensure road safety.

Patients suffering from ten serious medical conditions would be required to bring a medical certificate before getting their driving licenses approved.

The ten diseases include epilepsy, diabetes, loss of consciousness, heart and blood-related diseases, visual impairment, deafness, Parkinson’s, mental disorders, sleep disorders, and drug addictions.


-- NNT 2014-09-08

[EricBerg]

So there'll be another means of income selling medical certificates.

[ThaidDown]

Interesting headline that had me worried for a moment, for me it's ok as I'm only suffering from 7 of the listed conditions.

Pity the people suffering from all 10 and therefore will not be able to get a license.

[retell]

No change for us foreigners , need to bring a med cert. Anyway

[JoePai]

heart and blood-related diseases - that rules out a high percentage of applicants

[Chicog]

"Do you suffer from loss of consciousness. Er, hello, do you suffer from loss of consciousness. Hello?...."

[NongKhaiKid]

Visual impairment, will that include Red - green colour blindness so Thais actually know they've gone through a Stop light. ?

Oh wait, that's not important.

[ikke]

I don't know what this people/government is doing, but sure not governing while economics are down every day, i think there are other things to worry about.

And what about the % of accidents caused by one of this medical conditions, maybe 0.01% but sure not higher than that.

Improvement of driving skills by a serious practical test and teach them respect for other drivers and rules and regulations, that might help.

[chainarong]

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Visual impairment, will that include Red - green colour blindness so Thais actually know they've gone through a Stop light. ?

Oh wait, that's not important.

Number ten is yer dead

[nong38]

What about people with no legs or arms, that would be pretty serious I would say, but we should not discriminate against people who are physically challenged in some way or another. For instance blind people could have a guide dog and a white stick on the bonnet so other road users would know to get out of the way.

[Just1Voice]

I don't see "normal gross stupidity" on the list anywhere. That would disqualify most.

[whybother]

Interesting headline that had me worried for a moment, for me it's ok as I'm only suffering from 7 of the listed conditions.

Pity the people suffering from all 10 and therefore will not be able to get a license.

If they were suffering from all 10 conditions, not getting a licence would be the least of their problems.

[trainman34014]

So; how will they know what people are suffering from if it's not mandatory to supply a medical certificate ? Do they really expect Thai people to tell the TRUTH about their afflictions when applying for a license ? I mean; these folks are taught to lie faster than they are taught to read or write. Indeed; if lies don't work the second teaching is how to bribe !!

[jonclark]

No change for us foreigners , need to bring a med cert. Anyway

so do Thais

[Nickymaster]

Interesting headline that had me worried for a moment, for me it's ok as I'm only suffering from 7 of the listed conditions.

Pity the people suffering from all 10 and therefore will not be able to get a license.

If you have a of those deceases you will need to bring a certificate from the hospital. (What if a person doesn't bring the certificate is the question that follows).

[Mango Bob]

I'm going to have to hire a doctor to represent me when I go for my license.

[halloween]

Interesting headline that had me worried for a moment, for me it's ok as I'm only suffering from 7 of the listed conditions.

Pity the people suffering from all 10 and therefore will not be able to get a license.

If you have a of those deceases you will need to bring a certificate from the hospital. (What if a person doesn't bring the certificate is the question that follows).

They only become deceases in the very advanced stages, or maybe if you're driving with them.

[eeeya]

dr cert is pointless. if you walk into a dr surgery and pay your 100Baht ..you passed!

[RKASA]

They used to require them for everyone - last time I was checking in for a cert. appiontment the nurse asks the wife "does he have? (insert list)" and she replied "Not yet"

[Chaz1819]

Ok, this is my negative moment of the day.

It's wonderful that people having an imminent heart attack won't get their license to drive. Now that we have got that squared away, is it possible to get some motorcycle police driving up and down Sukhumvit AND stopping drivers that appear to be drunk or have zero ability to drive?

The first few nights they may need a large fleet to keep up. If they impound the cars, trucks, vans and busses of the guilty, we should only need one or two motorcycle cops to monitor what's left!

I think we all have already heard all the negative comments about Pattaya police so hopefully no need to repost them here in the thread :-)

[ratcatcher]

I'm going to have to hire a doctor to represent me when I go for my license.

Trick cyclist Bob?

[draftvader]

So that explains the driving standards. There was little old me assuming that the lack of education and effective testing was the root of the problem, but "no" it is simply that Thailand is actually a huge Narcoleptic Anonymous meeting on wheels!

[naboo]

Visual impairment, will that include Red - green colour blindness so Thais actually know they've gone through a Stop light. ?

Oh wait, that's not important.

I have red-green colourblindness, as are one in ten men. However, I can tell red from green. Thankfully the test only requires us to differentiate between red, green, yellow and blue.

Never been involved in an accident in the UK or here. Nearly drove into the back of a songtaew once, but that was entirely the fault of the lady walking down the street in a skirt shorter than her knickers.

[kriswillems]

If road safety needs to improve there needs to be a serious change in attitude.

The point to start with is the police, which is totally corrupt and lazy.

The fines are also much too low.

200B (the average official fine around here) is much less that the minimum daily income.

And usually you can get away with 50B, which is just a joke.

This new rule will have a marginal effect on road safety.

And the disadvantages are bigger than advantages.

For instance: it's likely that people with minor problems, like diabetes, will have a difficult time getting a drivers license.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Visual impairment, will that include Red - green colour blindness so Thais actually know they've gone through a Stop light. ?

Oh wait, that's not important.

Red Green, same same

[nong38]

Interesting headline that had me worried for a moment, for me it's ok as I'm only suffering from 7 of the listed conditions.

Pity the people suffering from all 10 and therefore will not be able to get a license.

If they were suffering from all 10 conditions, not getting a licence would be the least of their problems.

Correct how does 500bts sound?

[gamini]

I have a Thai DL for life. I got it a long time ago. Nothing to stop me or others who have one.driving when they are too old or sick to do so. They should something about this sitution. I personally don't drive myself any more because I consider myself too old and so I have a driver. I use my DL only as proof of identity.

[1plumber]

For instance: it's likely that people with minor problems, like diabetes, will have a difficult time getting a drivers license.

I can tell you first hand that diabetes is not a "minor problem" I have been a type 1 for 35 years. I that time I have been pulled over 3 times as the cops thought I was drunk. I have wrecked 2 vehicles. Thank GOD I never killed anyone but each time, after the cops found out that I was having a diabetic "incident" and not drunk......the cops let me go. This was in America no less. Yes type 1 diabetes can be a real big danger if the blood sugar suddenly drops.

[Felt 35]

Keep they who suffer from " bad attitude and lack of consideration for others" of the road and every other medical condition would seem as a mild flu.

[hgma]

I miss the underaged minors, sometimes as young as 8 driving a public road, often without,

# Helmet

# Insurance

on a 150 cc motorcycle doing 120 Km /Hr passing policeofficers and riding the opposite direction of 'normal' traffic.

I miss intoxicated drunks,having a lively chat with a traffic cop only to continue their stumbling driving skill to get home.

Any way

Medical certificates@50 bath each issued around the corner.

Safe journey all !!