Information about drivers with health conditions that impair driving is being shared directly with traffic authorities by medical organizations, and a government bill is heading to the State Duma to formalize this process, according to reports from Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
The new framework would enable faster communication between medical institutions and the National Traffic Inspectorate, enabling quicker action to remove drivers who are medically unfit to operate a vehicle.
At present, nonprofessional drivers are required to undergo a medical examination only once every ten years, typically after the license expires. During that long window, health changes can occur, and traffic authorities may not receive timely information about a driver’s medical status, allowing unsafe operation to continue.
Over the last five years, more than 105,400 driving licenses have been revoked by divisions within the National Traffic Inspectorate, with the majority of cases resulting from chronic alcohol or drug dependence and other court-ordered disqualifications from driving.
The proposed system would not expose specific medical diagnoses to traffic police, as medical information remains private. Instead, the police would receive an official notification indicating that the driver is medically unfit to drive. In response, a medical certificate would be revoked and the driver would be given a two month window to complete a medical examination and regain a license, obtain a non-entry permit, or acquire a restricted license. If the driver fails to act, the license would be suspended. The suspension would remain in effect until the medical bureau confirms that the driver has been cleared for operation or appropriate restrictions are in place.