Driving skills and fitness

Driving skills

The ability to operate a vehicle. This is particularly related to how handy you are with a vehicle and whether you can control it. Driving skills can decrease by using alcohol or drugs.

Fitness to drive

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

If you are stopped and the police officer or other authorised person doubts your driving skills or fitness to drive, then 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 medication. But even if you seem physically or mentally unwell, your driving licence can be confiscated. Your driving skills and/or fitness to drive can also decrease as you get older.

When your driving licence is confiscated due to one of these reasons, it is passed on to the CBR. The CBR decides which steps must be taken to investigate whether you are still competent enough to ride a motorcycle. You are obligated to cooperate in this process if you want to get your driving licence back. If you do not do this, your driving licence will be invalidated.

Examination or course CBR

The CBR has different possibilities to examine your competence or ability to drive:

• Medical examination for fitness to drive
  Examination by an independent specialist, for example, an ophthalmologist, neurologist or cardiologist.
• A driving test for examination of driving skills or fitness
  This test can result from a medical examination. With this test, you will go for a ride with a specially trained examiner to see whether this is still responsible.

The CBR can also impose a mandatory course. Under this fall the courses related to the use of alcohol or drugs:

• LEMA (Light Educational Measure Alcohol and Traffic)
  Is imposed on drivers when they are stopped in relation to driving under the influence. This is at a blood alcohol level between 0.5 and 0.8 per mille for new drivers and a blood alcohol level of 0.8 and 1.0 per mille for experienced drivers.
• EMA (Educational Measure Alcohol and Traffic)
  Is imposed on drivers with higher blood alcohol levels or people who were caught driving under the influence for a second time.
• EMD (Educational Measure Drugs and Traffic)
  Is imposed upon proven drug use in traffic.

And courses related to exceeding the speed limit and other antisocial behaviour:

• LEMG (Light Educational Measure Behaviour and Traffic)
  Is imposed upon exceeding the speed limit. This applies for motorcyclists when you ride between 50 and 59 km/h faster than is permitted (during roadworks this even is 30 km/h).
• EMG (Educational Measure Behaviour and Traffic)
  Is imposed in the case of antisocial and dangerous driving behaviour, such as tailgating, cutting of other road users, running a red light or exceeding the speed limit by 60 km/h.

These alcohol, drugs and behaviour courses are mandatory and are entirely at your own expense. In addition to this course, you will also usually also receive a (high) fine. If you do not follow the course (entirely) or if you do not pay, then your driving licence will be invalidated.