Enhances the fitness and safety requirements for certain licensed individuals

BILL NUMBER:S6863

Title of bill

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to enhancing the fitness and safety requirements for certain licensed individuals and establishes the New York state task force on the effects of aging on driving ability

Purpose

To ensure the safety for drivers, pedestrians, and others who may use New York state roadways

Summary of provisions

Section 1: Definitions.

Section 2: Upon the seventh application submission and thereafter for a renewal of a driver's license, applicants must submit proof of a physical examination, conducted by a licensed physician, to prove that the licensee is medically fit to operate a motor vehicle.

Section 3: Creates a task force to study the effects of aging on driving ability and availability of alternative forms of transportation.

Section 4: Task force members

Section 5: Compensation and Vacancies

Section 6: The Task force shall report its findings to the governor and the legislature

Section 7: This act shall take effect immediately

Existing law

Currently in New York State the only testing performed during the license renewal process is a vision examination.

Justification

Currently unsafe drivers may be reported to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles if they suffer from medical conditions. However, this can be problematic because the NYSDMV has to rely entirely on others to report medical conditions and unsafe drivers. It is imperative that drivers who present a higher risk on the road because of a decline of essential driving skills such as vision, hearing, reaction time, and motor abilities have their licenses either suspended or revoked. AAA released a report revealing statistics regarding the percentage of drivers Over a specific age that have reported some impairment to an essential driving function.

An estimated 20% of American drivers over the age of 65 have cataract in one eye with that number expected to rise to 3 million in 2020. An estimated 199,000 American drivers over the age of 65 have glaucoma. The report also highlights the fact that one study suggests that 87% of stroke victims do not receive any type of formal driving evaluation and simply just resume driving. Another statistic pertaining to motor skills that is important to know is that according to the senior drivers organization 80% of drivers over the age of 70 suffer from arthritis, crippling inflammation of the joints, which makes turning, flexing and twisting painful. Drivers that fall under this statistic would essentially have a severely reduced ability to react quickly in any given situation.

Lastly, vision is also a vital part of driving and the time necessary for eyes to adjust to light is crucial. Senior drivers organization reports that compared to a 16 year old, a driver who is 55 years old or older takes eight times longer to recover from a glare. These statistics reflect the percentage of Americans that have impairment to an essential driving function and further reinforces the notion that a great degree of caution needs to be taken when determining who is physically able to drive. This proposed bill would expand New York's current regulations and mandate physical examinations starting at the seventh application submission for the renewal of a driver's license.

Legislative history

None.

Fiscal implications

Unknown.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.