The short answer is that there is not much to prepare, and that is on purpose.

An occupational therapy driving assessment is not an exam. There is no route to learn, no answer sheet, and nothing you can study. What we are looking at is how you drive on an ordinary day, on the roads you actually use.

So the aim is not a good performance. It is a typical one. Everything below follows from that.

Why there is so little to do

An assessment is only useful if it reflects your everyday driving.

If the day is arranged around getting the best possible result, the result stops describing you. It describes a version of you that exists for three hours and does not get behind the wheel again. That does not help you, it does not help your doctor, and it does not help Transport and Main Roads make a sound decision about your licence.

It also does not last. A licence granted on the strength of an unrepresentative assessment still leaves you driving in traffic every other day of the year.

So turn up as you are.

What to have ready

• Your driver licence, current and physical

• Your glasses, and hearing aids if you use them

• A current list of your medications, including anything over the counter

• Any letters from your GP or specialist about your condition

• Any correspondence from Transport and Main Roads if you have received some

• Details of any modifications already fitted to your car

Nothing on that list is a trap. Having it out saves you hunting through drawers halfway through the session.

On the day

Follow your normal routine. Eat and drink as you usually would. Do not skip breakfast. If you have diabetes, manage your levels exactly as you normally do.

Take your medication exactly as prescribed. Do not skip a dose to feel sharper and do not take extra to feel calmer. You drive on your usual regime every other day, so that is what needs to be assessed.

Wear the shoes you normally drive in. Not new shoes, not thongs, not heels you never wear. How the pedals feel underfoot is part of what we look at.

Keep driving in the lead-up. Unless your doctor has told you to stop, carry on with your usual driving in the weeks beforehand. Parking the car out of nervousness and then driving for the first time in a month on the day makes it harder for you.

Allow around three hours. Roughly half at home and half on the road. Do not schedule anything tight afterwards, and use the bathroom before we head out, because the on-road section runs for about an hour.

A support person is welcome at home. They do not come in the car. A family member in the back seat changes how people drive.

The full run-through of the day is in what to expect on the day.

Things that make the result less useful

Driving differently to how you normally drive. Some people drive in an exaggeratedly cautious way on the day, well under the speed limit. That is not safer. Driving too slowly for the conditions is its own hazard, and it does not reflect how you drive the rest of the time.

Changing your medication routine. Covered above, and worth repeating, because it is the most common one.

Answering our questions inaccurately. We will ask about your health, your medications, your vision and how your driving has been going. Answer plainly, including the parts that are not going well. This is not about improving your outcome. An assessment built on incorrect information is not a valid assessment, and a report based on it will not stand up for you or anyone else.

Bringing someone anxious. Well meant, and it raises the temperature for everybody. If someone is coming to support you, ask them to stay calm and to stay out of the driving part.

About the nerves

Nearly everyone is nervous. The day is structured with that in mind.

The off-road part comes first, which gives you the best part of an hour to settle before you drive. The on-road part starts on quieter roads. We drive in your own area, so you are not navigating unfamiliar territory while being watched, and there is no set route to get wrong.

If you need a minute at any point, say so and we will pull over.

If something has genuinely thrown you before the assessment, such as illness, a very poor night's sleep or a bereavement, tell us and we will look at rescheduling. That is not about getting a better result. It is about the assessment reflecting your usual driving rather than an unusually bad week.

What is not being tested

This trips people up, so it is worth being explicit.

We are not testing whether you can parallel park to licence-test standard. We are not testing your knowledge of road rules as a quiz. We are not comparing you to a 25 year old. We are not trying to find a reason to stop you driving.

We are looking at whether you can drive safely enough for the roads you actually use, and if not, whether something can be changed so that you can.

Ready to book an OT driving assessment on the Gold Coast? Steer Driving is a mobile assessment service covering the Gold Coast and surrounding areas. Whether you already have a referral or you're just getting started, get in touch and we'll guide you through the next steps.

This article was written by Elise, an AHPRA-registered Occupational Therapist and driver assessor. Elise is the founder of Steer Driving, a mobile OT driving assessment practice.

Frequently asked questions

Should I have driving lessons before the assessment?

No. We do not recommend arranging lessons beforehand. The assessment needs to reflect how you currently drive. If lessons would be useful, that comes out of the assessment as a recommendation.

Whose car do we use?

The driving instructor's dual-control car. If you have modifications fitted to your own vehicle, tell us when you book, because there are situations where assessing you in your own car is more appropriate.

Can I bring my husband or daughter?

To the part at home, yes, and what they have noticed is often useful. Not in the car during the drive.

Should I stop driving until the assessment?

Only if your doctor has told you to. Otherwise keep doing your ordinary driving.

Will I find out the result on the day?

We talk you through what we observed before we leave, so nothing in the written report should come as a surprise. The formal recommendation goes into the report, and the licensing decision is made by Transport and Main Roads, not by us.

What happens afterwards?

That depends on the outcome. See what happens if you fail an OT driving assessment and licence conditions after an OT driving assessment.