The Change Mariner

Medically at-risk drivers lose licenses

Statesman Journal

More than 200 Oregonians have lost their driver’s licenses under a new law aimed at getting people with potentially dangerous medical conditions out from behind the wheel.

The “medically at-risk” law requires physicians and health-care providers to report to the Department of Motor Vehicles patients with a condition that could hinder their ability to drive.

Patients can get their license back by passing visual, written and driving tests, said Bill Merrill, manager of the driver control unit of the state’s DMV Services division.

Listed individuals also can appeal their case to an administrative judge.

Oregon’s law is part of a national movement to address road safety issues related to medical conditions, said Melissa Savage, a transportation analyst for the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures.

Several states have medical review boards that assess the abilities of specific drivers, Savage said.

Only one state, Pennsylvania, has passed a “medically-at-risk” law that holds providers liable if they fail to place someone on the list and that person is involved in a traffic accident, Savage said.

Oregon’s law, which was initially passed in 2001, made health-care providers immune from civil liability for reporting a patient to the state DMV, said Merrill.

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