Doctor's Orders

Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer Albert Conforzi: Did you know that since 1968, doctors have been obligated to report unfit drivers to the Ministry of Transportation? Indeed, since 2006, your doctor has been paid to do so:

Since 1968, Ontario doctors have been required by law to report unfit drivers, but studies have shown that actual reporting of affected patients falls far below the prevalence of chronic diseases like dementia, alcoholism and diabetes in the population.

In 2006, physicians in the province began receiving a small fee — $36.25 — for counselling a patient that he or she should not be driving, and reporting them to the Ministry of Transportation.

The good news is that the identification of these drivers resulted in an immediate 45 percent drop in trauma from motor vehicle crashes.

The bad news is that 20 percent of those identified did not return to their doctor following the doctor having issued the warning. It's likely that these people simply changed doctors.

Let's face the facts -- if I am not fit to drive, I want my doctor to say so. Every member of the motoring public should feel the same way.