No more yearly medical exams for drivers' license holders, according to LTO

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced on Monday, April 16, that holders of licenses with a five-year or ten-year validity period are no longer required to have routine medical exams.

“There’s no empirical data saying that the periodic medical examination could prevent road crashes,” LTO chief Jose Arturo “Jay Art” Tugade said in a statement announcing the amendment.

In accordance with the prior regulations, people who receive a 5-year driver's license are required to get regular medical checks within three years of when the license was first issued, regardless of their birthdate. On the fourth and seventh birthdates after the license was issued, those with a 10-year driver's license must be verified. In addition to the routine physicals needed for driver's license applications or renewals, these medical clearances are additionally required.

According to the revised regulations, medical exams will only be necessary when applying for a new driver's license or renewing an existing license.

The requirement that drivers get a medical checkup 60 days before or on their renewal date will be eliminated, according to the LTO. The inconvenience for those who need the time for work will be lessened, as will the time and money spent complying with the periodic tests. The new regulations were agreed upon on Friday and made public on Monday.