A THREE-YEAR SUMMARY OF THE KENTUCKY DRIVER LIMITATION PROGRAM

THE ALARMING INCREASE IN TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND PERSONAL INJURIES IN KENTUCKY LED TO RECOMMENDATION OF A COOPERATIVE PROGRAM INVOLVING THE KENTUCKY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AND THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR AN EFFECTIVE DRIVER LIMITATION PROGRAM TO SCREEN ACCIDENT-PRONE AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVERS. THE BOARD DETERMINED THAT PHYSICAL OR MENTAL INFORMITIES WILL BE PRESUMED WHEN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS EXIST, AND THE DRIVER IS THEN REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TO A MEDICAL EXAMINATION: (1) DRIVERS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THREE OR MORE REPORTABLE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS, (2) DRIVERS WHO AT THE TIME OF A COLLISION INDICATED THAT THEY BLACKED OUT OR LOST CONSCIOUSNESS PRIOR TO COLLISION, (3) DRIVERS WHO ARE NAMED IN AT LEAST TWO SWORN AFFIDAVITS BY OTHER CITIZENS AS BEING INCOMPETENT OF PROPERLY OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE DUE TO PHYSICAL OR MENTAL INFIRMITIES, (5) APPLICANTS FOR LICENSES WHO HAVE OBVIOUS PHYSICAL OR MENTAL IMPAIRMENT, (6) ANY DRIVER WHOSE DRIVING RECORD REVEALS THREE OR MORE CONVICTIONS FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND (7) OTHER DRIVERS WHEN THEIR DRIVING PRIVILEGE OR RECORD INDICATES THAT THEY ARE PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY IMPAIRED. DURING THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF OPERATION, THE DRIVER LIMITATION PROGRAM REFERRED 1,615 LICENSED DRIVERS FOR MEDICAL REVIEW, PLUS EIGHTY-FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOT LICENSED BUT WERE MAKING APPLICATIONS FOR SAME. THE ORIGINAL PREMISE THAT MANY DRIVERS ARE CRASH-PRONE BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL, OR EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENT WAS SUSTAINED. IT WAS DEMONSTRATED THAT MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN BE RESTORED TO SAFE DRIVING STATUS BY MEDICAL TREATMENT, USE OF SPECIAL EQUIPMENT, AND SPECIFIC DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS.

• Authors:
  • Bassett, J E
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Serial:
  • American Association for Auto Medicine, Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver licensing; Driver training; Drunk driving; Fatalities; High risk drivers; Injuries; Medical examinations and tests; Psychological aspects; Traffic crashes
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver restriction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220904
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: pp 104-108
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 22 1970 12:00AM