Jacinta Law: how much could the medical certificate cost to obtain a driving license?

Much interest was generated by the amendment to the Jacinta bill proposed last week, which indicated that all – and not just those over 65 – Those wishing to obtain or renew their driving license must present a medical certificate which proves the physical ability to drive a motor vehicle.

Thus, the debate around this new indication has established itself in public opinion, generating supporters and detractors of this measure. On social media, for example, some have suggested that It would only serve to do business, adding doctors to the equation; others have pointed out that requiring a medical certificate will ultimately increase the total cost of the permit ; Likewise, those who are in favor believe that Additionally, a document proving that you are psychologically qualified to drive must be attached.

Faced with all these concerns, we questioned various stakeholders linked to road safety and involved in this bill about them…

About, Lisa Lucero , family lawyer who promotes the Jacinta Law project, begins by clarifying that: “The ultimate goal has always been to have safer drivers. With this in mind, initially the project focused on people over 65 years old, because these are the people who most often suffer from diseases that can affect driving, such as vision problems, hypertension, heart disease, etc. However, and After several meetings with various relevant organizations, such as Fundación Emilia and Conaset, we understood that the medical certificate should be aimed at everyone, because even the youngest can suffer from some of these diseases that affect driving. “.

For its part, Baby light executive secretary of Conaset, emphasizes that: “from MTT and Conaset we do not agree with the idea of ​​requiring a medical certificate only from people over 65 years old, because Road accident data indicates that the majority of those involved are between 19 and 33 years old, followed by the age group between 46 and 63 years old. The aptitude or physical criterion for driving a motor vehicle is not necessarily linked to a person’s age, which is why the current medical evaluation in the renewal process aims precisely to determine the condition of each individual.

When asked about this, Carolina Figueroa, from the Emilia Foundation, underlines the following: “it seems correct to us, as a foundation, to incorporate a greater number of indications or to request more documentation to obtain a license, but also We believe that this type of reforms must go hand in hand with the implementation of the points licensing system, a form of prevention which has worked very well, as in Spain and France, and which has reduced the number of road accidents with drivers who actually commit recurring offenses.

According to the bill, applicants for a driving license or its renewal must go to the municipality concerned with a “a medical certificate issued by a general practitioner, attesting that the applicant does not suffer from any of the diseases indicated in the Article 3 of Decree-Law 170 Regulations on the granting of driving licenses.

“In the event that the applicant suffers from one of these illnesses, the doctor must establish that the applicant is undergoing medical treatment and that he is fit to drive a motor vehicle.”

Many believe that the inclusion of this document as a requirement for obtaining a driving license could generate an unnecessary demand for medical examinations and certificates. This, without taking into account that this would increase its total cost.

On this subject, Alberto Escobar, director of Mobility of the Automobile Club of Chile and specialist in road safety of the institution, emphasizes that: “Generally, when the difficulties of certain documents – in this case the driving license – increase, a black market immediately appears. which seeks to encourage any type of falsification. We must be very attentive to this and the effects it can have on the health system, because it could lead to a saturation of its professionals. »

“Similarly, there will be many doctors who will not dare to issue this type of certificate straight away. To this must be added the associated costs that people must assume for consultations, additional examinations, etc. , which can be requested before obtaining the medical certificate. The Jacinta law has very good intentions, but it has a series of side effects that need to be discussed in detail so that it can really make a great contribution to road safety.

On this subject, shining star responds that: “the Jacinta bill does not require that the medical certificate be issued by a private center, it could also be public, and in this case it would be free. We don’t think this should be seen as a business, but as a system or way to ensure your health is compatible with driving. Furthermore, the value of a general practitioner consultation is between 11,000 and 14,000 pesos, which is a reasonable value compared to the great safety benefit that would result.

Now, should we also include a psychological certificate? “ In an ideal world, we think so. But this is not envisaged in our project, we only consider the diseases already detailed in the Regulations of the Ministry of Transport”, underlines the lawyer of the bill Jacinta.

Another objective of the Jacinta bill is the protection of victims of road accidents, for which a series of measures are proposed, including: work immunity for one year for parents who have lost minor children as a result of a road accident.

He also suggests, for example, that the Secure SOAP be activated by the health establishment that takes care of the victims and thus this payment reaches the families and victims as quickly as possible.

Another of the protection measures proposed by the project is that the body is lifted within a maximum of three hours, once the prosecutor gives the order so that it is not exposed to the public indefinitely.

It is also considered important that the guarantor judge, on the proposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office or the complainant, secures the property so that future compensation can be paid to the victim family. therefore the accused cannot misappropriate his property, he cannot dispose of his property during the trial.

Concerning these and other indications, there are also reluctances. “What makes us noisy about the project in general is that it requires many modifications to other types of articles, such as, for example, the immunity of victims of road accidents, because here too we would play with the Labor Code, depending on the fact that you would create a new type of grieving victim. Today, the number of days to mourn the loss of a loved one, a child, a father, a mother, is already fixed in this regulation and you would generate a new type here. So actually, I would focus on changing the first article, which is the one that actually requires the most basic information to provide the driving license,” he says. Figueroa, from the Emilia Foundation .

The Jacinta Law project is still under study, it should be reinstated in the coming weeks with its new articles.