▷ It is proposed to strengthen health checks of drivers in Lithuania

In Lithuania, drivers’ health is checked symbolically and is carried out every ten years, during which many things can change. Specialists say that more attention should be paid to this area, perhaps stricter requirements and tests of a person’s psychophysiological abilities.

The chief specialist of the Department of General Medical Care of the Ministry of Health, Genovaitė Paulauskienė, told the radio station “Laisvoji Banga” that the purpose of the health check of drivers is to determine whether the health status of the checked person meets the minimum standards of mental and physical fitness, which apply to persons seeking to obtain the right to drive and drive motor vehicles of the corresponding category.

It is proposed to strengthen health checks of drivers in Lithuania

“The requirements for health checks were established by order of the Minister of Health and were combined with the EU Directive and the minimum requirements for the health of drivers therein, because throughout the EU there is free movement of people and the requirements must be the same,” said G. Paulauskienė. According to the interlocutor, there are no precise statistics on how many people trying to obtain the right to drive do not meet the health requirements. However, in her opinion, the description of the requirements and procedure for the driver’s health check provides many opportunities for the doctor, his advisory commission or the driver’s health check commission to individually decide with what reservations a person can drive. According to G. Paulauskienė in Lithuania there is no test of psychophysiological abilities. Physical abilities and mental state are checked separately.

“There are requirements for vision, hearing, drivers with mobility problems”

, those who have had a myocardial infarction, and different requirements apply to drivers who only transport their family and who work as qualified drivers. For the latter drivers the requirements are more stringent and their health is checked more often. Not even in the EU directive are there any requirements to test psychophysiological abilities,” the specialist said. According to the interviewer, when checking the health status of motorists, much attention is paid to addictions to alcohol or psychotropic substances.

“The procedure for checking the health of drivers specifies how to act if the driver’s state of health has changed or a tendency towards addiction has appeared. If it is found that a person cannot drive due to a medical condition, the doctor must inform the administration of his health institution in writing or by email, whose authorized person will immediately inform the police station of the person’s place of residence by email within 5 working days,” said G. Paulauskienė. Vidmantas Pumputis, head of the Road Safety Department of the Ministry of Transport, assured that the driver’s mental and behavioral disorders are currently being monitored.

“Psychophysiology is a branch of psychology that studies the role of biological characteristics in determining mental activity, permanent and individual psychological differences. It studies in particular behavioral disorders, the way a person reacts to spatial vision, speed estimation, logical reasoning, concentration of attention, visibility in the dark, coordination of movements and reaction. I would like to point out that all these things in Scandinavian countries, in order to obtain a driving license, are forcibly checked by doctors to see if these characteristics do not deviate from the current norm. If it is found that the driver’s reaction is not long enough, his spatial vision is impaired, the driver is prescribed treatment or banned from driving,” the interviewer said.

According to him, to carry out such tests requires special equipment and the preparation of the doctors themselves, since such tests are carried out by psychologists with a specific specialization.

“In my opinion this is a great testing method, because each of us has weak characteristics and it is useful for everyone to know them in order to pay attention to them while driving. This way you can get valuable advice. It is no coincidence that the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University has accumulated methodological material and conducts such studies, every driver receives advice. According to the data of the conducted studies, an average of 3-5 people out of 100 would not be able to drive,” said V. Pumputis. According to the interviewee, Klaipėda and Šiauliai universities have similar equipment, and there are also enthusiasts who are interested and perform spatial vision tests.

According to V. Pumputis, in Lithuania, a person who drives or who wants to obtain such a license is tested for sensitivity to light, darkness, visual acuity and field of vision, contrast sensitivity, diplopia, but in the VGTU laboratory everything is examined in more detail and this becomes a kind of advice for drivers, where their weak point is located, and this allows the driver to make appropriate decisions to ensure safety on the road,” the interviewer said.