UAE links health records to driving licences in new traffic law, to keep unfit drivers off the road

Abu Dhabi: The new executive regulations of the Federal Traffic Law , which will come into effect on January 1, have approved legal controls and provisions that grant the licensing authority in the country the right to suspend, cancel, or refuse to renew driving licenses and permits in 12 cases, with the aim of raising the levels of safety and security on the roads. The regulations also introduced a clause obligating the competent health authorities in the country to coordinate with the licensing authority to provide it with data on people who suffer from diseases or health conditions that may affect their ability to drive vehicles safely. Specifically, the regulations classified the procedures related to driving licenses and permits into three main categories, including suspending their use, canceling them, and refusing to renew them, based on the driver’s record, health condition, and court rulings issued against him. The first category includes suspending the license in three cases: a court ruling to suspend it, reaching the cumulative limit of black points, or proving that the driver has lost the eligibility or health fitness necessary to drive. The second category relates to the cancellation of the licence, and includes five cases: the issuance of a court ruling to cancel, reaching the cumulative limit of traffic points, the applicant submitting a request to cancel it, the death of the licence holder, or proof of his loss of eligibility or the necessary health fitness to drive. The third category includes refusal to renew the licence in four cases: proof of loss of eligibility or health/fitness necessary for driving, issuance of a court ruling refusing renewal, the existence of unsettled traffic violations recorded on the driver’s traffic code, or reaching the cumulative limit of traffic points. In a related context, the regulation introduced a clause obligating the competent health authorities in the country to coordinate with the licensing authority to provide it with data on people who suffer from diseases or health conditions that may affect their ability to drive vehicles safely. Driver training Article (76) of the regulations, regarding the reassessment and qualification of drivers, stipulates that the holder of an expired driving license, when he wishes to renew it after more than 10 years have passed since its expiry without renewal, shall be subject to the theoretical and practical tests determined by the licensing authority, while fulfilling the other renewal conditions stipulated in the decision. The regulation granted the Federal Traffic Council the authority to determine the minimum theoretical and practical tests required to implement the provisions of this article. Licence renewal Article (73) stipulates that a request to renew a driver’s license must be submitted within 30 days of its expiry date, provided that the renewal is done after payment of the prescribed fees, and in accordance with the procedures approved by the licensing authority. Before renewing a driver's license, the individual is required to pay the fines resulting from violations committed, or to provide proof of payment of the fines imposed on him, if any, for violating the provisions of the decree-law, the regulations, and the decisions issued in implementation thereof. Eye exam Article (62) of the new executive regulations of the Federal Traffic Law approved the medical requirements for eye examinations for different driving categories, and set graduated standards starting with a minimum visual acuity of (6/18) for each eye separately for light vehicle drivers, taking into account cases of visual variance or loss of one eye, in which it is required that the visual acuity of the healthy eye not be less than (6/6). The regulations require drivers of buses and heavy and light equipment to have visual acuity of no less than (6/6) in both eyes. To make things easier for customers, the regulations granted the licensing authority the power to accept eye examination reports issued from outside the country, to enable holders of expired driving licenses to renew them.