Driving after stroke or transient ischaemic attack

All patients are unfit to drive after a stroke or TIA.

After a stroke, a private vehicle driver cannot drive for at least 4 weeks, and a commercial vehicle driver cannot drive for at least 3 months—this applies even if the patient has no detectable neurological deficit. Before starting to drive again, the patient must be assessed for residual impairments that could affect the functions needed to drive safely¹.

Particular concerns are sensory and/or visual inattention (neglect) and hemianopia. Refer patients with significant neurological, cognitive or perceptual impairment (especially inattention) for a driving assessment, supervised by an occupational therapist. Refer patients with hemianopia for assessment by an ophthalmologist.

After a TIA, it is advised that private drivers do not drive for 2 weeks and commercial drivers do not drive for 4 weeks¹.

¹ National standards of fitness to drive are available from the Austroads website. For advice on driving after a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack, see Section 6.3 Other neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. A checklist for assessing fitness to drive after a stroke is in Box 3.Return