Reasons For A PennDOT Medical Recall
A good portion of my interaction with clients is explaining when I can’t help or what issues have very little chance of being corrected. The hardest issue to tell a person “you can’t drive anymore” is after a medical condition causes their driver’s license to be recalled.
Pennsylvania Medical Recall Information
A medical recall of a PA driver’s license is triggered by someone sending a report to PennDOT suggesting that a person is unsafe behind the wheel or they had some type of serious medical condition like a seizure or stroke. In most cases the person making the report is a doctor or police officer, and it was triggered by some action that you can pinpoint.
Physical Criteria for a License Recall
• Visual acuity less than 20/70 (after correction) and field of vision standards
• Hearing requirements (for school bus drivers only)
• Seizure disorder
• Unstable diabetes
• Cardiovascular conditions
• Cerebral vascular insufficiency
• Periodic episodes of loss of consciousness and/or awareness
• Loss or impairment of joint or extremity
• Rheumatic, arthritic, orthopedic, muscular, vascular or neuromuscular disease expected to last longer than 90 days
• Use of any drug or substance that is known to impair skill or function
Mental Criteria for a License Recall
• Cognitive impairments
• Inattentiveness to the task of driving because of, for example, preoccupation, hallucination or delusion
• Contemplation of suicide, as may be present in acute or chronic depression or in other disorders
• Excessive aggressiveness or disregard for the safety of self or others or both, presenting
a clear and present danger
This is not a comprehensive list, but it should give you an idea of why someone may believe you are not safe behind the wheel of a car. Understanding that your age has a direct effect on your mental and physical ability is one of the great hurdles of aging.
What Happens When Health Care Personnel Report a Patient?
A report triggers an evaluation process. PennDOT will review the information it has received and may contact you to obtain further information. Based on all the information submitted, PennDOT makes the decision to place restrictions on the person’s driving, recall the license, ask the person to complete a driver’s examination or no action may be taken.
