Currently, you, as a physician, are mandated to report to the Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles (OSMV) any patients who continue to drive after you have recommended they stop. As the decision making authority for driver licensing, only the OSMV can revoke a driver’s license.

Important: Physicians can be held legally liable for not reporting if they could have reasonably foreseen that the patient’s medical condition could lead to a motor vehicle crash. All provinces protect the physician from litigation if they report in good faith.

BC Motor Vehicle Act: Mandatory Reporting, Protection, & Confidentiality Section 230

(1) This section applies to every legally qualified and registered psychologist, optometrist and medical practitioner who has a patient 16 years of age or older who

(a) in their opinion has a medical condition that makes it dangerous to the patient or to the public for the patient to drive a motor vehicle, and

(b) continues to drive a motor vehicle after being warned of the danger by the psychologist, optometrist or medical practitioner.

(2) Every psychologist, optometrist and medical practitioner referred to in subsection (1) must report to the superintendent the name, address and medical condition of a patient referred to in subsection (1).

(3) No action for damages lies or may be brought against a psychologist, an optometrist or a medical practitioner for making a report under this section, unless the psychologist, optometrist or medical practitioner made the report falsely and maliciously.

If you, as a physician, have questions about this, you can phone an OSMV hotline in Victoria which is just for medical professionals: 250-953-8612.