The study, mandated by the California Legislature, analyzed California Department of Motor Vehicles' (DMV) policies and practices relating to drivers with medical impairments. Its basic intent was to discover whether such policies and practices are justified on traffic safety grounds, or whether they are arbitrary and discriminatory. The population studied was restricted to drivers whose impairments require the judgments of a Driver Improvement Analyst (DIA) in making the licensing decision. Such impairments include, e.g., epilepsy, heart conditions, diabetes, and mental illness. The study included the following: (1) reviews of traffic safety literature, laws, and administrative policies: (2) compendium of medical opinion regarding disorders characterized by lapse of consciousness; (3) correlation of physicians' and DIAs' recommendations regarding driving for persons with lapses of consciousness; (4) statistics on the role of impairment in California accidents; (5) accident records of six impairment groups; (6) analysis of the administrative process relating to impaired drivers; (7) experimental comparison of three types of DMV (minimal treatment and two types of probation); and (8) opinion surveys of population and impaired drivers. It was concluded that a special program for impaired drivers is justified on traffic safety grounds. Several modifications of the present program were recommended.


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