Citation

Palmer FC. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1963; 7: 437-442.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1963, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Because of seat-belt campaigns, the public is better informed than ever before. It is demanding better traffic-safety programs and more effective legislation to support them. An example is the growing interest in the states for physical and mental examination as a part of driver-licensing procedure. Who should make the necessary medical reports; how should they be made; how do medications and drugs affect driving ability; what to do about licensing people admitted to and discharged from mental institutions? Driver-license administrators are asking the public-health and medical professions for help with these medical problems of driver licensure.

There is no panacea for our traffic-accident problems. Progress toward minimizing the effects of traffic accidents can be made only in small, often slow, steps, some very costly. Seat belts are one small step toward our goal, safety packaging would be a further step, and efficient medical-screening procedures for driver licensure would be another major advance.

Driver-license administrators are asking the public-health and medical professions for help with the medical problems of driver licensure. What shall we tell them? We must make a decision.