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 it. The use of alcohol and drugs can impair driving skills.

Fitness to drive

The physical or mental ability to operate a vehicle. This has to do with physical or mental conditions, such as problems with the limbs or brain disorders.

If you are stopped and the police officer or other authorised person doubts your ability or fitness to drive, they can decide to confiscate your driving licence. This can be because you were riding antisocially or were clearly under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medications. But also if you seem physically or mentally unwell, your driving licence may be confiscated. Your ability and/or fitness to drive can also decline as you get older.

When your driving licence has been confiscated due to one of these reasons, this will be reported to the CBR. The CBR will decide which steps need to be taken to investigate whether you are still competent or fit enough to drive this vehicle. You are required to cooperate in this process if you want to get your driving licence back. If you do not cooperate, your driving licence will be invalidated.

CBR course or medical examination

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

• Medical examination of driving fitness
  Examination carried out by an independent specialist such as an ophtalmologist, 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 this is still responsible.

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

• LEMA (Light Educational Measure Alcohol and Traffic)
  Is imposed on drivers that are stopped related to driving under the influence. This is at a blood alcohol level of 0.5 to 0.8 (220-350 µg/l) for novice drivers and a blood alcohol level of 0.8 to 1.0 (350-440 µg/l) for experienced drivers.
• EMA (Educational Measure Alcohol and Traffic)
  Is imposed on drivers with higher blood alcohol levels or on those caught for a second time for driving under the influence.
• EMD (Educational Measure Drugs and Traffic)
  Is imposed upon proven drug use in traffic.

And courses related to speeding and other antisocial behaviour:

• LEMG (Light Educational Measure Behaviour and Traffic)
  Is imposed on drivers for speeding. This applies to moped riders when you ride between the 30 and 59 km/h faster than permitted.
• EMG (Educational Measure Behaviour and Traffic)
  Is imposed in case of antisocial and dangerous driving behaviour, such as cutting off other road users, running red lights or exceeding the speed limit by 60 km/h.

These alcohol and behaviour courses are compulsory and completely at your own expense. In addition to this course, you will usually also receive a (considerable) fine. If you do not (fully) follow the course, your driving licence will be invalidated.