Some medical conditions can make drivers unfit for the road. There are measures in place to ensure that drivers who have seriously and potentially dangerous medical conditions can be reported by their doctors and can have their licenses revoked. Each year, across Florida, thousands of drivers have their licenses revoked to ensure that they are not a threat on the roads. The aim of this policy is to ensure that preventable Miami car accidents and Florida traffic accidents in general do not occur because of a known medical condition.
According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and other groups, however, some known drivers with unsafe medical conditions are getting behind the wheel – and it is putting drivers across the state at risk. In the past few months, at least two fatal accidents in the Tampa area alone have been caused by known medical conditions.
Under Florida law, drivers who have had their licenses revoked due to medical reasons have the right to submit medical reports in order to get their licenses re-instated. Cases can be reviewed by a medical board and doctors can submit regular reports to ensure that someone is not deprived of a license because a condition that is under a control and therefore no longer a threat. However, some experts say that the system is far from perfect.
According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, some drivers may underreport systems or downplay the extent of their illness in order to get a license reinstated. Other drivers may notice dangerous symptoms but never go to a doctor, so that their license is never revoked in the first place. In some cases, drivers have chosen to alter their names in order to obtain a new license after theirs was revoked for medical reasons.
With the number of licenses revoked for medical reasons on the rise, this is becoming a serious issue in Florida. In 2000, the number of Florida licenses revoked for medical reasons was 3559. In 2010, the number was 7716, more than double. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, many of these revocations occur due to illnesses such as cardiac illness, seizures, dementia, and strokes. About half of licenses revoked are revoked due to these types of illnesses while the remaining half are largely due to addiction-related illnesses and drunk driving accidents.
It’s a sensitive issue, especially with growing numbers of elderly Miami drivers being diagnosed with illnesses every year. Many argue that revoking licenses limits mobility and independence, especially in cases where a person’s ability to drive is not tested and may not even be affected. As well, most patients usually receive care to help control symptoms. In most states, drivers who have not had symptoms for six months and patients who submit to treatment for their conditions are allowed to apply for reinstatement of their licenses. Some argue that this is the best way to give everyone freedom. Others argue that the reinstatement process is too lax and relies too heavily on patient and doctor honesty. If patients are not honest about their treatment and condition, Miami traffic accidents can result.
If you have been injured in a Miami car accident, you need a qualified personal injury attorney to investigate the accident for you and to stand up for your rights. If you need a Miami car accident attorney, contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case.