The Necessity Of Good Health To Be A Proficient Driver
1) Free from serious illness.
One should not suffer from epilepsy or penyakit gila babi as they say in Bahasa Malaysia. Suffering from this ailment, one should not partake in swimming activities also.
Therefore, a person who is affected by the above illness should not be allowed to drive. Parents who have epileptic children should see to it that they do not take up driving either.
2) Do not suffer from physical deformities.
To drive well and control a vehicle, one needs to use of hands and legs. As such, if a person is suffering from any physical deformities, it is best to seek medical advice prior to taking up a driving course.
This also applies to those faced with medical problems. As for the Orang Kurang Upaya (O.K.U), they have first to be certified fit to drive a manual vehicle.
Get a medical checkup performed by an orthopedic surgeon at the General Hospital before registering for a driving course. If an O.K.U. is unable to handle a manual vehicle, allowance is given for them to use an automatic car.
3) You should possess good eyesight.
A driver needs good eyesight. Ability to see a distance of 23 meters is a normal requirement. To see a distance of a vehicle approaching approximately 100 m away is another requirement too.
Besides this, a potential candidate wishing to take up driving should also pass a colour blind test. Failure to do so, would entail you being asked to go for an eye test at any government clinic.
Some students enquire, “What if I am unable to see colours?” If that is the case, probably the authorities will make the necessary important decision.
4) Should not be dependent on medication.
There are some people who are heavily dependent on medication. As you are well aware, medications can affect a person. Some medications are reported to make you sleepy, lethargic and groggy.
These conditions affect a driver’s performance. Drivers should be aware of the many side effects of medicines. It is therefore pertinent to remind those who are dependent on medicines to be extra careful.
5) Stress.
There are some who suffer from stress. This is one condition which can affect a driver’s performance. There have been reports which go to show that accidents can be caused by stress. It can lead to drivers being involved in accidents.
Basically, stress can be divided to:
a) Psychological.
b) Physical.
c) Physiological.
If you should suffer from any form of stress, do see to it that you seek medical attention to overcome it.
6) Do not be a drug addict or an alcoholic.
Drugs and alcohol are two of the items disallowed to be used by a driver. The Road Transport Act 1978 has certain sections in it which prohibits the use of it. As such, drivers should see to it that they should not consume drugs of any sort. That goes also for the consumption of alcohol too.
The fines for drugs and alcohol consumption whilst driving are rather hefty. It can lead to you being fined as much as RM2000, imprisonment or even your license being suspended. So, the advice is, do not drink and drive.
7) The ability to hear well.
The ability to hear well is of extreme importance. Even though, this requirement undergo no tests, potential candidates should be able to hear distinctly. Ability to hear vehicles coming from behind is important.
A driver has to be able to hear a policeman’s whistle. The inability to hear all these puts a driver in a disadvantage. Accidents can likely happen if a driver is unable to hear well.
A potential student who intends to take up driving is advised to seek the use of a hearing aid should he or she be a victim of this deformity. In reality, it is for your own good and other road users as well.
Other health requirements needed for one to become a driver are many. Amongst them are good and responsible attitude. The ability to drive safely is yet another. So is also the ability to plan one’s journey and be patient while driving.
All these will go towards making you a good a and proficient driver under our defensive driving program which Malaysia currently professes.
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