The drive finishes, we come back inside, and almost everybody asks the same thing. So what happens now?

Here is the whole sequence, from the moment we park to the moment your licence is decided.

You find out on the day

Before we leave your home, we talk you through what we saw. Both the parts that went well and the parts that did not.

This matters to us. Nobody should be waiting by the letterbox to find out how their driving went, and nothing in the written report should come as a surprise. If the news is difficult, you hear it from a person sitting across from you, not from a document that arrives a fortnight later.

If you would like a family member there for that conversation, arrange it beforehand. Many people do, and we recommend it.

The report goes out within a week

You get a copy. That is not something you have to ask for.

Where the rest of it goes depends on which state issued your licence.

Queensland. The report goes to the doctor who referred you. They complete an updated Medical Certificate for Drivers and send it to Transport and Main Roads. The pathway is set out in reporting a medical condition to Queensland Transport.

New South Wales. The report goes directly to Transport for NSW.

If a third party is funding the assessment, such as NDIS, an insurer or a workers compensation scheme, they receive a copy too. You are told about that when you book.

Nobody else receives it. Not your family, not your employer, not your insurer, unless you have agreed to it or a funder is entitled to it as part of the arrangement.

We do not decide anything

This one is worth being clear about, because people often assume the occupational therapist takes the licence.

We assess and we recommend. Transport and Main Roads, or Transport for NSW, makes the decision. Our recommendation is a significant part of what they consider, and it is not the decision itself.

The same is true in the other direction. We cannot promise you an outcome, and we would not, because the decision is not ours to give.

What the outcomes can be

Broader than most people expect. In general terms, a report can recommend:

• Continuing to drive with no change

• Continuing to drive with one or more conditions on the licence

• Continuing to drive once vehicle modifications are fitted and trialled

• Stopping driving

Conditions are the outcome people know least about. A condition is a limit written onto the licence, such as driving in daylight only, staying within a defined local area, or driving an automatic vehicle only. Each one is recommended because it addresses something specific that came up in the assessment. We have explained how they work in licence conditions after an OT driving assessment.

If modifications are recommended, there is a sequence to follow. Vehicle modifications for drivers in Queensland sets it out.

How long the whole thing takes

The assessment is one day. The report follows within a week. After that you are waiting on both the doctor to complete the updated form, then the licensing authority, and their timeframe is not something we control. Allow several weeks, sometimes longer.

If you are working to a deadline, such as a licence expiry, tell us when you book and we will do what we can to fit it.

If the recommendation is to stop

It is a hard day, and it is worth saying that plainly rather than glossing over it.

Two things tend to help. The first is that the decision sits with the licensing authority and is based on a clinical assessment, which takes it out of the family's hands. It is an independent assessment, and is not biased in any direction.

The second is having something ready. Working out how the important trips will happen before the decision arrives makes the weeks afterwards considerably easier than starting from nothing. Getting around the Gold Coast without driving covers the practical side.

There is more on the outcomes themselves in what happens if you fail an OT driving assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Can my family see the report?

With your consent, yes. Tell us and we will arrange it.

What if I disagree with the report?

Tell us, and tell your doctor. If something factual is wrong, such as a date or a medication, we correct it. If you disagree with the clinical opinion, the licensing authority makes the final decision and your treating doctors can provide them with further information.

Does the report diagnose me?

No. It records your relevant medical history as context. Diagnosis is your doctor's role.

Will I have to be assessed again?

Sometimes. Where a condition is progressive, the licensing authority usually sets a review date, which is a medical review rather than another driving assessment. Whether a further on-road assessment is needed depends on what your doctor and the authority decide at the time.

What does it cost?

That depends on the assessment type and your funding stream. Assessments are GST-free. See OT driving assessment cost in Queensland.

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.