A fitness to drive inquiry was with State Growth at the time of her death, instigated by Strahan police, who had noticed she had been driving more slowly than previously.

The Strahan woman died on 13 September last year when she failed to give way at an insersection and drove into the path of an oncoming vehicle, before crashing into a power pole.

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Her new car was a manual, which she was not used to driving, and she had been struggling to change gears.

Coroner Olivia McTaggart said police had taken all reasonable steps to monitor the woman's driving in the weeks before her death.

"This case is yet another instance of a driver failing to wear a seatbelt and, as a consequence, reducing her chances of surviving the crash," Ms McTaggart said.

"The Strahan police officers, who knew Mrs Brown, were monitoring her competence with her new vehicle but had not observed any significant issues, other than to note that she was driving more slowly than previously," she said.

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"Nevertheless, Constable Wayne Bradford had put in train enquiries with the Department of State Growth licensing unit to determine her fitness to drive, which were pending at the time of her death."

Alcohol was ruled out, as was a medical event, and the car was found to be roadworthy.

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