Driving skills and fitness

Driving skills

The ability to operate a vehicle. This is mainly determined by how competent you are in driving a vehicle and how well you maintain control of the vehicle. The use of alcohol and drugs can impair driving skills.

Fitness to drive

The physical or mental fitness to operate a vehicle. Physical or mental disorders such as problems with limbs or neurological conditions can impact your fitness to drive.

If you are stopped by a police officer or another authorised person who deems you unfit to drive, the officer or authorised person may confiscate your driving licence. This could be due to reckless driving or when it is clear that you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication. However, this can also happen if you appear physically or mentally unwell. Driving skills and fitness to drive may also decline with age.

If your driving licence is confiscated for one of the above reasons, this will be reported to the CBR. The CBR will then decide how to determine your eligibility to continue driving. Co-operation is mandatory. If you refuse to co-operate with this process, your driving licence will be declared invalid.

CBR course or medical examination

The CBR has various options for determining your fitness or ability to drive:

• Medical examination of driving fitness
  Examination carried out by an independent specialist such as an ophthalmologist, neurologist, or cardiologist.
• Driving test to examine driving skills or fitness
  This test can follow a medical examination. You will drive alongside a specially trained examiner to determine whether it is sensible for you to continue driving. Depending on the circumstances, this test may be done with a lesson car or your own car.

The CBR can also impose a compulsory course. This includes courses related to the use of alcohol or drugs:

• LEMA (Light Educational Measure Alcohol and traffic)
  Is imposed on drivers who have been arrested related to driving under the influence. This is a blood alcohol level of 0.5 to 0.8 per mille for novice drivers and a blood alcohol level of 0.8 to 1.0 per mille for experienced drivers.
• EMA (Educational Measure Alcohol and traffic)
  Is imposed on drivers with a higher blood alcohol level or those caught for a second time for driving under the influence.
• EMD (Educational Measure Drugs and traffic)
  Is imposed at proven drug use in traffic.

And courses related to speeding and other antisocial behaviour:

• LEMG (Light Educational Measure Behaviour and traffic)
  Is imposed for speeding. This applies when you drive between 50 and 59 km/h faster than permitted (even from 30 km/h at roadworks).
• EMG (Educational Measure Behaviour and traffic)
  Is imposed for antisocial and dangerous behaviour, such as tailgating, cutting off other road users, driving through red lights or driving faster than permitted from 60 km/h onwards.

These alcohol, drugs and behavioural courses are compulsory and entirely at your own expense. In addition to this course, you will usually also receive a (considerable) fine. If you do not take the course (in full) or do not pay for it, your driving licence will be invalidated.