To the Editor: Helping patients who have had a stroke return to driving when possible should be an important focus in rehabilitation wards. The National Stroke Foundation supports a three-stage approach to assessing ability to drive, comprising physical and cognitive assessment, an off-road driving test and an on-road driving test.1 Austroads is the association of Australian and New Zealand road transport and traffic authorities, which aims to improve road and road transport outcomes. It provides clear guidelines on criteria for licence and assessment after stroke, but the implementation of these guidelines varies in practice.2
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- 1 Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA.
- 2 Division of Rehabilitation, Aged Care and Allied Health, Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide, SA.
- 1. National Stroke Foundation. Clinical guidelines for stroke rehabilitation and recovery. 2005. http://www.strokefoundation.com.au/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,0/task,doc_view/gid,58/ (accessed Nov 2007).
- 2. Austroads. Assessing fitness to drive. http://www.austroads.com.au/aftd/index.html (accessed Sep 2007).
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