Citation

Smith JS. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1970; 11(1967): 119-128.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1970, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

As chief of the section on traffic epidemiology of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, I act as liaison between the Department of Health and the Traffic Safety Committee of the Governor. Duties here are to help plan and implement those portions of the National Highway Safety Standards that have been assigned to the Department of Health. Another duty is in consultation to the Bureau of Traffic Safety which is the driver-licensing agency in Pennsylvania. In this state we have a large program for physical examinations of operators of motor vehicles, and I will discuss this program in some detail. The periodic physical examination of drivers was inaugurated in 1959 and interrupted in 1962. It was resumed in 1965 by the Bureau of Traffic Safety with the Department of Health in consultative capacity. Each applicant for an operator's license is now required to have a physical examination completed by the physician of his choice. A card must be filled out, RTS-101. (Fig. 12-1) The physician is asked to evaluate nine different categories on this card and indicate by a check mark his answer to the question as to whether, in his opinion, there is any disorder which would prevent reasonable control of a motor vehicle. The applicant must have visited the nearest State Police barracks for visual acuity verification on the tele-binocular and also Snellen chart where indicated. This completed card is then mailed to the Bureau by the examining physician.