Went to the doctor and lost your driver's license? Who should be afraid of the new law?

On Sunday, September 28, not a single major media outlet missed this sensational "news." A Yandex search reveals just how important the amendments to the "Road Safety Law" have proven to be for the Russian population.

Meanwhile, the RIA Novosti report cited by all media outlets is not news. The amendments themselves, according to the website Kremlin.ru , were approved by President Putin on July 7, 2025, and nearly three months later, State Duma Deputy and Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Healthcare Sergei Leonov recalled them in a conversation with RIA Novosti .

Why Leonov is talking about a legal innovation that won't come into effect for another eighteen months is unknown. After all, there was no reason to talk about it today. But the PR effect is obvious. The country has learned, or at least remembered, that it has its own deputy.

And it would be easy to rest on this, but some authors and media outlets have fueled the imagination to the level of socially dangerous horror stories and scare mongering.

What kind of lawlessness and tyranny is this? Say, after yesterday's heavy drinking session at a birthday party, you go to your local general practitioner complaining of a cough, and instead of diagnosing you with an acute respiratory viral infection, the doctor cunningly and secretly adds "chronic alcoholism" to your medical record. Then, your shameful report is automatically transferred to the State Traffic Inspectorate (GIBDD) database, where your driver's license and driving privileges are automatically revoked.

According to lawyers, doctors in our country can't be trusted. They're so treacherous it's downright scary. Previously, they were simply called "saboteurs," but now they're called "corrupt officials in white coats." Anton Shaparin, vice president of the National Automobile Union (NAU), agrees:

But why would doctors falsely diagnose drivers en masse and prosecute them for blackmail, bribery, and extortion? After all, driver's health certificates are still issued to everyone who obtains or renews their license once every 10 years. Yet, widespread corruption has not been observed. At least, we are unaware of any cases where a healthy person was diagnosed as schizophrenic, drug addict, alcoholic, blind, or deaf in order to prevent them from receiving the desired certificate.

But even if the doctor makes a mistake and gives an incorrect diagnosis, the driver has three months to challenge it by undergoing an independent medical examination. If this isn't enough to convince doctors and traffic police of your ability to drive, the only option is to reinstate your license in court.

It's certainly a slow and tedious process. But let's agree that there's no smoke without fire, just as there's no such thing as a baby-clean blood test for a drug addict.

However, Russia has a clear problem with drivers who are incompetent due to poor health. And it's not just those who enjoy illegal substances and drinks. Oncology patients after chemotherapy, those with heart and lung diseases in acute and severe stages, epileptics, and diabetics who are oblivious to sudden drops in blood sugar are getting behind the wheel in droves en masse. Therefore, the number of accidents involving drivers who lose consciousness while driving is growing every year.

Therefore, no law can replace the honest self-assessment of those who drive on public roads: am I prepared to drive safely for myself and others? Or should I play it safe and go somewhere as a passenger?