Patients were given warning about their inability to drive due to medical conditions.
For the research study, physicians Donald Redelmeier, Robert Tibshirani, and their colleagues studied over 100,000 patients over a four year period. The patients had all been given warnings about their inability to drive due to medical concerns.
For the research study, physicians Donald Redelmeier, Robert Tibshirani, and their colleagues studied over 100,000 patients over a four year period. The patients had all been given warnings about their inability to drive due to medical concerns.
It turns out when physicians tell their patients not to
drive, patients actually listen. Road crashes were reduced by 45 percent. The
data suggests that doctors have an influence on the choices their patients make
regarding driving. Doctors could theoretically help reduce the number of car
crashes yearly.
1.2 million people die every year in car crashes
Every year, an estimated 1.2 million people die in traffic
accidents. About a third of those crashes involve a driver suffering from a
chronic medical condition. In Ontario, physicians were required to start
reporting whenever they felt a patient might be unfit to drive. And it seems as
if those reports are affecting traffic habits in a positive manner.
Doctors should report unfit drivers to reduce crash rates
Doctors should report unfit drivers to reduce crash rates
Surprisingly, in the U.S., only six states have a mandatory
reporting requirement for physicians. Doctors don’t have to report patients who
are medically unfit to drive in the majority of the U.S. This means that about
21 percent of American drivers have been diagnosed with chronic conditions that
make them a dangerous liability on the road.
Unfit drivers continue to endanger roads
Some drivers should be deemed unqualified to drive because
they suffer from conditions like:
- Alcoholism
- Epilepsy
- Dementia
- Stroke
- Sleep apnea
The study conducted at the University of Toronto has showed
that physicians reporting unfit drivers have a strong influence on the number
of crashes every day. Unfortunately, until the same mandatory reporting system
is in place in the U.S., Americans will continue to see an influx of car
crashes.
Accidents happen for many reasons, and they can result in
serious injury and even death. No one can stop accidents from happening, but it
doesn’t change the injustice of it if someone is seriously hurt as a result of
negligence.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you may be able to sue
the other party for negligence or wrongdoing. Talking to an attorney is the
best thing you can do, whether you think you have a claim or not. Unfit drivers should not be allowed on the
road, and filing a claim against them is the first step to preventing them from
harming other innocent victims.
