Doctors and other health care professionals play an important role in the safe mobility of their older patients. The American Medical Association encourages physicians to make driver safety a routine part of their medical services. 

• Clinician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers
• How to Report a Medically At-Risk Driver
• Clinical Assessment of Driving Related Skills (CADReS) Score Sheet (pdf)
• Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes (pdf)
• FindaRideFlorida.org – Online listing to help your patients find local transportation options

The American Geriatrics Society and NHTSA have published the Clinician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers, 4th Edition to help healthcare professionals prevent motor vehicle crashes and injury to older adults. The Guide assists clinicians in assessing older drivers at risk for crashes and counseling older drivers to help enhance their driving safety. Resources for easing the transition to driving retirement when necessary are also available.  Click here to go to the page dedicated to this important resource or click the button above.

Health care professionals, often occupational therapists, with special training in driver rehabilitation are called Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (DRS). A DRS can provide driving evaluations in an office or in a car to understand your physical, visual, and cognitive abilities as a driver. They work with you to build on your strengths and can make suggestions to help you drive safely. This may include tips to improve your skills, vehicle modifications, or even changes to your usual routes, such as avoiding left turns.

To find a certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist near you, visit aded.net.

The Florida Department of Transportation contracted with researchers from SRA Research Group Inc. to develop an assessment tool and conduct a statewide survey to help assess the level of knowledge among the health care community and older adult service organizations. The research project titled "Health Care Providers and Older Adult Service Organizations to Assist in the Prevention and Early Recognition of Florida's At-Risk Drivers" helped Safe Mobility for Life determine baseline levels of community practice, knowledge, interest, and resource needs regarding at-risk drivers.

The assessment results provide a snapshot of current practice in regarding how professionals from health care and older adult service organizations interact with older Floridians on driving issues. Some key findings included:

• A majority of both medical professionals (85%) and social service providers (87%) said they discuss driving with adults age 50 and over.

• Barriers to discussing driving were identified:
  • Lack of resources to assess (55%)
  • No transportation options to offer (50%)
  • Not driving may negatively impact quality of life (49%)
  • Lack of resources to educate (41%)
  • No time to assess (40%)
• Main topics discussed with older adults:

• Planning for the future (56%)
• Talking about ways to drive safely (52%)

• The majority (88%) feel a simple screening tool to help identify and better predict at-risk drivers would be helpful.

• The majority (88%) agree identifying at-risk drivers is everyone's responsibility.

• Top resources they want to receive:
  • Florida's Guide to Safe Mobility for Life
  • Local Transportation Options
  • FDOT's SafeMobilityFL.com

Safe Mobility for Life continues to use the results of this research project to guide the development and/or dissemination of educational and outreach materials which support the recognition and reporting of at-risk drivers.

Each state has its own licensing and license renewal criteria for drivers of private motor vehicles. In addition, certain states require physicians to report unsafe drivers or drivers with specific medical conditions to the driver licensing agency. To learn more about Florida's Medical Advisory Board, visit our Laws page.

The University of Florida FindaRideFlorida.org team developed a brief webinar, “Helping Your Clients Find Transportation” to help both aging service and health care providers address the importance of mobility independence, how to use FindaRideFlorida.org, and how to proactively keep your patients safe and mobile.