Doctor was justified in notifying ministry
My doctor sent me to a sleep clinic in July 2014. They diagnosed sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP machine to aid nighttime breathing. I sought alternative treatment and cancelled a followup appointment. A month later, the clinic doctor wrote that sleep apnea may affect my driving and he would notify the MTO. My own doctor advised them that heart and stress tests were excellent, and there was no problem. In April 2015, the MTO said the clinic doctor reported me and my licence will be suspended May 1.
Another sleep clinic examined me and advised I try the CPAP machine, which I did and find great. On May 5, this clinic’s doctor faxed the MTO certifying treatment and asking the licence be released. Ultimately, it might take a month or longer for the MTO to cancel the suspension.
I feel the first sleep clinic doctor abused his power.
Due to patient confidentiality, the doctors involved can’t comment.
By law, a doctor has a duty to notify the MTO if a patient has a medical condition that may affect their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. If the MTO suspends the licence, the person must obtain medical clearance and, if necessary, complete vision, written and road tests for reinstatement.
According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep apnea can cause excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause the person to fall asleep while driving. There’s also an increased risk of hypertension, heart problems and stroke. If there’s underlying heart disease, multiple episodes of low blood oxygen can lead to sudden death from a cardiac event.
While medical opinions might differ, the first sleep clinic doctor acted within professional guidelines by notifying the MTO if he/she believed the patient posed a risk by driving while untreated. Obviously, suffering a stroke or heart attack while driving would endanger everyone. Why do some tire valves have green caps?
The green caps indicate that tires have been filled with nitrogen rather than just air. My dash tire pressure light stays on since winter tires on aftermarket rims were installed. Is it safe to keep driving with the light on?
Yes, but manually check tire pressures monthly. Aftermarket rims don’t normally include the vehicle-specific electronic tire pressure sensors, where required, to communicate with your car’s tire monitoring system. Email your non-mechanical questions to Eric Lai at wheels@thestar.ca. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.