Forum: Harmonised medical examination report benefits all elderly drivers

We refer to the letter by Mr Madan Kishor, “

Simplify medical assessments for all older drivers

” (Jan 30).

We appreciate his feedback and would like to clarify that the new Harmonised Medical Examination Report (HMER) will benefit all drivers aged 65 and above, and is not limited to vocational licence (VL) holders.

Previously, the Traffic Police (TP) required drivers aged 65 and older with Class 2 or Class 3 licences to undergo a medical examination every three years, and annually for those with Class 4 or Class 5 licences.

The Land Transport Authority required VL holders aged 65 and older to undergo a medical examination annually, regardless of licence class. Drivers had to scan and upload the completed medical examination reports to the respective agencies’ portals.

With the new HMER and streamlined medical assessment process, medical practitioners will be able to submit the completed medical examination reports of all drivers aged 65 and above directly to the authorities, on behalf of the elderly drivers.

Drivers will receive SMS notifications when their reports are submitted and when they are processed. Detailed information on the HMER is available on the SPF website under Knowledge Hub > Traffic Matters > Singapore Driving Licence > Drivers Aged 65 Years Old and Above.

We thank Mr Madan for his suggestion for elderly drivers to use existing medical reports from their regular healthcare visits for medical examinations required by TP.

However, this may present practical challenges as the Fitness to Drive medical examination requires evaluations of vision, cognitive function and physical capabilities, which may not be covered by all routine medical consultations.

That said, elderly drivers can consider timing their regular healthcare visits with the Fitness to Drive examination.

Lin Zhihao (Superintendent of Police)
Assistant Director (Media Relations Division)
Public Affairs Department
Singapore Police Force