to driving: the awareness of patients and

Medical restrictions to driving: the awareness of patients and doctors EDITOR—Kelly et al’s study of knowledge of medical restrictions on driving reveals worry-ing deficits in doctors ’ knowledge.1 This accords with results of previous studies2 con-cerning knowledge of psychiatrists, but con-trasts with a comparable study of knowledge3 after dissemination of the Driving Vehicle Licence Authority’s (DVLA) “at a glance guidelines”.4 For example, 93 % of the sample of 89 psychiatrists were aware of DVLA regu-lations on late dementia, suggesting that ignorance can be countered by educational campaigns. However, even this study revealed inadequate knowledge of General Medical Council (GMC) guidelines on confiden-tiality, in which the trend was to under-estimate the need for doctors to break confi-dentiality and to inform the medical adviser at the DVLA. For example, only 32 % of respondents were aware that the DVLA should be informed when a patient continues to drive against medical advice. Information concerning the breaking of confidentiality is not explicit in the “at a glance guidelines”, but is described with clarity by the GMC in Duties of a doctor.5 It seems likely that legal precedent will establish medical negligence when doctors fail to provide appropriate advice on driving regulations. The study of Morgan showed that junior trainees have least knowledge of guidelines,3 and it would seem appropriate to make driving regulations a clearly defined topic for examination in Member-ship curricula. However, other doctors may require the threat of litigation to focus their minds