Casey Archbald, an autistic driver who has held a licence for about 30 years, learned about the new inclusion from an ABC News story. He then lodged a complaint with the Queensland Human Rights Commission against the Queensland Transport Department, demanding that autism be removed from the guidelines.

The guidelines, known as Assessing Fitness to Drive, are developed nationally but each state or territory makes the final licensing decision. A review carried out in 2020‑21, before the 2022 edition, concluded that there was not enough evidence to link autism with a higher crash risk and that the wide variability of ASD characteristics made a single standard unclear.

Associate Professor Amanda Webster, an expert from the University of Wollongong, said there is no evidence that autism itself impairs driving and she was not aware of any studies measuring risk. She added that autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a medical condition that a doctor can assess for fitness to drive.

A spokesperson for the National Transport Commission clarified that an autism diagnosis alone does not have to be reported to licensing authorities unless the person’s symptoms are likely to affect safe driving. The commission said it is working with autism and health groups to improve public information and the wording used in future revisions.

The dispute highlights how adding a condition to medical standards without solid evidence can spark legal challenges and a broader debate about disability rights versus road‑safety policy.