Medical Review Guidelines and MAB Practices Intro Letter

D RIVER MEDICAL REVIEW PRACTICES

A survey conducted under contract to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Contract Number DTNH22-09-D-00135, Task Order 8, “Medical Review Guidelines and MAB Practices”

This is a request from TransAnalytics to participate in a research project sponsored by NHTSA’s Office of Behavioral Safety Research, carried out by TransAnalytics, LLC and supported by AAMVA. I am TransAnalytics’ Principal Investigator on this project.

This project activity asks you to complete a 63-question survey and to review and edit a summary of your medical review process that was prepared in 2003, to update it to reflect current practices. You have received this survey as a primary driver licensing contact on AAMVA’s mailing list or because AAMVA was able to identify you as someone directly involved with the detailed, day-to-day activities of driver medical review. If your position is too far removed from such activities, please forward this survey and all attachments in this email to that person’s attention, with a cc to me ([email protected]).

These results will be used to document each State’s medical review structure and processes used in licensing drivers with medical conditions and/ or impairments in their visual, physical, and mental abilities needed to drive safely. TransAnalytics will summarize all survey results in a series of tables in a report for NHTSA that also includes the detailed narrative summaries of all 50 States and the District of Columbia. This compendium of tables will compare and contrast the full range of referral sources, review practices, and associated licensing outcomes evidenced among all 51 U.S. driver licensing jurisdictions. The detail provided in the narratives will describe how the process works in each State, including the various forms used to refer drivers, gather information about their medical conditions, and make licensing determinations. This single resource will assist State licensing agencies when updating their own guidelines, practices, and outreach to those who may refer drivers for medical review, by detailing what is in practice in other jurisdictions. It will be useful to NHTSA in promoting practices that maintain public safety while allowing for personal mobility.

As you respond to the questions on the following pages, you are encouraged to write in additional information to help describe the organization and operations of your State’s medical review/reexamination process. I am also attaching a summary of your State’s medical review structure and processes based on the information collected in 2003. This summary is in Microsoft Word. Please edit the summary to reflect current medical review processes and guidelines, and make sure it reflects the information you provide in your responses to the questions in the survey.

Additional documentation is also requested such as forms, training materials, and medical standards/guidelines (see checklist below). You may email these attachments to me (Kathy Lococo), or provide links if they are available on the internet, or send via USPS:

CHECKLIST OF REQUESTED MATERIALS

• Forms that drivers complete for original and renewal licenses that request self disclosure of medical conditions that could affect their safe driving ability.

• Forms used by your Licensing Agency to request medical history from a driver’s physician and vision specialist.

• Forms that law enforcement, physicians, and private citizens would use to report a driver who exhibits signs of unsafe driving.

• Forms that counter personnel, driver license examiners, and MAB physicians use to assess functional ability.

• Standards and guidelines for licensing people with specific medical conditions.

• Any public information and education materials addressing “fitness to drive” issues.

• Training materials used in educating licensing personnel to observe functional ability.

• Training materials used in educating licensing personnel in dealing with older drivers.

I’m looking for a turn-around time of 6 to 8 weeks. When the survey is complete, please attach it in an email to me at: [email protected].

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at 215-538-3820, x 104. If you prefer to work in hard copy, feel free to print the survey, write your responses, and mail the survey to TransAnalytics at the address at the bottom of this letter.

We realize that this survey is quite extensive and we appreciate your cooperation and patience in taking the time to provide thoughtful, complete answers. Thank you for your dedication to traffic safety and your support of NHTSA’s mission to reduce the number of deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes on our Nation's highways.

Kathy Lococo

TransAnalytics, LLC, 336 West Broad Street, Quakertown, PA 18951

Kevin R. Lewis Kevin Lewis Director, Driver Programs and American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators

Richard Compton Director, Office of Behavioral Safety Research National Highway Traffic Safety Administration