ANALYSIS OF MEDICAL ADVISORY EFFECTIVENESS IN LICENSING PROGRAMS
ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF THE OPERATION OF MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARDS IN TWO STATES: MARYLAND AND NORTH CAROLINA. THE SOURCE OF REFERRAL TO THE MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD REVIEW PROCESS IN BOTH STATES IS ROUGHLY SIMILAR. ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE FOUND TO GIVE ACCURATE PREDICTIONS OF POOR DRIVING BEHAVIOR. THE MARYLAND COMMITTEE MEETS TO EVALUATE CASES; IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE PROGRAM IS CONDUCTED BY CORRESPONDENCE. IN MARYLAND, THE APPLICANT USUALLY APPEARS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE FOR EVALUATION, AND BOARD PHYSICIANS THERE SEEM TO FEEL THIS ESSENTIAL, PARTICULARLY IN CASES OF EPILEPSY, HEART DISEASE, AND DIABETES, WHERE THE DRIVER'S KNOWLEDGE OF AND ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS CONDITION AND MEDICAL REGIME ARE CRITICAL. IN NORTH CAROLINA, EACH DRIVER IS REFERRED TO A PHYSICIAN OF HIS CHOICE, WHO COMPLETES AND RETURNS AN EXAMINATION FORM. RESULTS ARE TABULATED OF REFERRALS AND REFUSALS FROM EACH STATE. IN TERMS OF THESE TWO STATES, MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARDS APPEAR TO BE EFFECTIVE, FOR IN THE PAST THREE YEARS THEY ENABLE MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATORS IN MARYLAND AND NORTH CAROLINA TO SUSPEND FOR MEDICAL REASONS THE DRIVING PRIVILEGES OF ABOUT 1,742 DRIVERS, OF WHOM ONLY 2 SUCCESSFULLY CHALLENGED THESE DECISIONS IN COURT. A DESIRABLE SIDE-EFFECT OF THE PROCESS OF MEDICAL REVIEW IS THAT UNDERGOING THE PROCEDURE SEEMS TO HAVE A SOBERING EFFECT ON SOME DRIVERS.
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Supplemental Notes:
- pp 109-118, 10 TAB, 6 REF
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Authors:
- Ashley, F M
- Publication Date: 1970
Media Info
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Behavior; Diseases and medical conditions; Driver licensing; Drivers; Medical examinations and tests
- Old TRIS Terms: Driver restriction
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00220905
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: pp 104-108
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jun 22 1970 12:00AM