The medical examination is based on the HGV driving requirements. In particular the medical will look at the driver’s visual status with respect to distance vision as well as the ability to perceive the different colours. The standard required for vision is known as 6/6, which means that standing 6 metres away from the eye chart you are able to see the line of letters which we would normally expect somebody with normal vision to see. In America this would be known as 20/20 vision; the 6 metres being 20 feet. To achieve this standard, glasses or contact lenses may be worn. For International Licence holders there is also a standard for each eye individually with an expectation that one eye can read at least 6/9. That is to say standing at 6 metres away from the chart, you can see what we would normally expect an individual to be able to read at 9 metres.
The rest of the medical will include a focus on cardiovascular status with a measurement of heart rate and blood pressure. There is also a urine test performed to exclude the presence of diabetes (sugar in the urine) but we also take the opportunity at that time to check for other abnormalities with the urine, such as the presence of blood or proteins. Some drivers may well be taking a variety of different medications including treatment for blood pressure. Most of these medicines are acceptable for licencing, however, there are some medicines which are listed as prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA). At certain professional levels of motorsport, drivers can continue to take prohibited substances provided they have something known as a Therapeutic Use Exemption Certificate (TUE). We are happy to discuss this with individual drivers should they need to go down this route.
