News
7 August, 2024
Driving for life
Queenslanders renewing their driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations will be prompted to register as organ donors, a move aimed at boosting the state’s low donor registration rate of just 31 per cent.
The initiative, launched by the State Government in partnership with DonateLife, is part of the ‘Drive Up Organ Donation’ campaign, which coincides with National DonateLife Week.
Since the new feature went live a week ago, more than 640 Queenslanders have already registered to become organ donors.
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman, an organ donor herself, emphasised the importance of the initiative.
“As a proud organ donor, I believe that organ donation is one of the greatest gifts you can give,” Ms Fentiman said.
“It takes less than a minute to register or check your status. “We urge all Queenslanders to get online, register as a donor, or check their donor status.”
The new feature integrates with the Transport and Main Roads (TMR) online portal, allowing users to directly access the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR) when renewing their license or registering their vehicle.
With nearly four million online transactions annually, the Government anticipates a significant increase in registrations.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish said it was “great to see this new feature already seeing hundreds of people register as donors”, given there are around 4 million Queenslanders renewing their licenses or registrations each year.
“This is about driving donor registration and saving lives,” he said.
The initiative also includes a commitment to reintroduce the ability to indicate organ donation preferences directly on driver’s licenses, when the current licensing database is updated in the coming years.
DonateLife Queensland State Manager Tina Coco highlighted the importance of the partnership.
“We’ve listened to what people have told us about the barriers to becoming donors,” she said.
“By integrating organ donation registration with driver’s license renewals, we are making it easier for people to make a diff
erence in someone’s life.”
The State Government encourages all Queenslanders to take advantage of this new feature to ensure they are part of the vital solution.
www.donatelife.gov.au/
