Psychiatric conditions

Find out how your mental health can affect your driving safety.

Like all medical conditions, your mental health can affect your ability to drive safely. If you have a serious psychiatric condition that could affect your ability to drive safely, you must notify VicRoads. Drivers are legally required to report to VicRoads any medical conditions that could impact their ability to drive.

Serious psychiatric conditions include:

  • Depression
  • Schizophrenia
  • Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)

Find out more about mental health conditions on the Better Health Channel (External link).

How your psychiatric condition can affect your driving

Depending on your condition, your ability to drive safely could be affected by:

  • changes to your judgement and decision-making
  • sleep disturbances
  • side-effects from your medication, including drowsiness and changes to your coordination.

Find out more about how your condition could affect your driving in the AustRoads Assessing Fitness to Drive guidelines (External link). 

What you need to do   

If your condition is unstable, do not drive. Speak to a doctor and contact VicRoads before driving.

If you have (or develop) a serious psychiatric condition that could affect your ability to drive safely, you must notify VicRoads.

Find out what happens after you notify VicRoads.

Please ask your psychiatrist to complete a Psychiatric Report [PDF 113Kb]

Heavy vehicle drivers

Heavy vehicle drivers must meet strict safety standards in Victoria. If you have a serious psychiatric condition and want to drive a heavy vehicle, you’ll need to undertake a medical review so we can assess your ability to drive safely. 

We’ll provide you with more information once you notify VicRoads about your condition.

Fitness to drive 

If you have (or develop) a medical condition that could affect your driving safety, you must notify VicRoads. There could be serious consequences in not reporting a medical condition - Fitness to drive FAQs if you don’t.  

Find out what happens after you notify VicRoads.

 

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