AN EXAMINATION OF THE DRIVING PERFORMANCE OF MEDICALLY EVALUATED DRIVERS

The North Carolina Driver Medical Evaluation Program (MEP) is designed to identify drivers with physical and/or mental impairments which may adversely affect their driving and is directed at influencing their driving behavior in a positive fashion. This study examines the impact of the initial medical review (IMR) on the driving performance (as measured by crashes and violations) of those persons who had their initial medical review in 1978 and 1979 (n=6953). Their driving records are examined for a period of two years before and after IMR. Their driving performance is compared with that of all drivers in the North Carolina driver history file in 1981. Within group comparisons are made to determine if the medically impaired driver's crash rates changed from the pre to the post evaluation period. A second set of comparisons is made to determine if there are differences in the driving performance of MEP members and those in the driving population. In addition, comparisons are also made for various subgroups determined by type of medical restriction. For most categories of disabilities there was marked improvement in driving performance subsequent to medical review with improvement among all groups except those with alcohol/drug related disabilities. Persons with visual, diabetic, cardiovascular, mental, blackout and seizure disabilities showed a significant improvement in their crash rates, but those with blackouts, seizure, neurological, and alcohol drug related disabilities were significantly worse drivers than their counterparts in the general driving populations. The program does not appear to have any effect on violation rates. (Author/TRRL)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the 27th Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas, October 3-6, 1983.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  P.O. Box 222
  Morton Grove, IL  United States  60053
• Authors:
  • POPKIN, C L
  • Stewart, J R
  • Lacey, J H
• Conference:
  • 27TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE
  • Location: San Antonio Texas, United States
  • Date: 1983-10-3 to 1983-10-6
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 263-274
• Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, USA, OCTOBER 3-6, 1983. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Aptitude; Behavior; Cardiac disorder; Conferences; Crash rates; Diabetes; Driver performance; Driver records; Drivers; Driving; Drugs; Epilepsy; Evaluation; Evaluation and assessment; Impaired drivers; Intoxication; Medical examinations and tests; Personnel performance; Physical disabilities; Prevention; Safety; Vision
• Uncontrolled Terms: Modifications
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver impairment; Medical disability
• ITRD Terms: 1661: Accident prevention; 1757: Age; 2122: Cardiovascular disease; 8525: Conference; 2115: Diabetes; 1855: Driving (veh); 2226: Driving aptitude; 2242: Drugs; 2231: Drunkenness; 2113: Epilepsy; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 2157: Medical examination; 9048: Modification; 8122: USA; 2066: Vision
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389444
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Files: HSL, ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM