When I mentioned driver rehabilitation training in a different thread, I was asked for details, so I am posting a new thread for those interested. I know this is a long and boring post! Unless you're interested in learning about the topic, skip it!
Maryland, like all states, I imagine, requires medical evaluation of licensed drivers with certain medical conditions. Medical providers are supposed to report patients with certain conditions to the State Department of Motor Vehicles, although many do not, I suspect, fearing they would lose a client. Drivers are supposed to self-report at the time they renew a license, although I suspect most choose not to, or simply skip over the legalese and are not aware.
Conditions that doctors are supposed to report to the DMV in Maryland for evaluation are:
I was shocked when I quickly received back a notice from the DMV applying a "J" restriction to my license, which required me to be in the company of a rehabilitation specialist while driving. What? This meant I couldn't drive anywhere!
I decided to move as quickly as possible to regain a regular driver's license, but it took 5 months. Did I occasionally drive anyway? Sure, but not very far or very long, except to driving school, which was 30 minutes away.
The DMV had sent me a list of certified driving schools in the area. I chose Brant's, which services MD, DC, VA, DE, NJ, & WV.
Brant's Driving School
There is a "clinical" part of the evaluation, which includes a cognitive test [e.g., what is today's date?, memorizing a list of objects and spewing them out 5 minutes later] and an evaluation of how you manage a vehicle while actually driving. For example, I cannot lift my left arm to grab the wheel or put on the turn signal, which is on the left side of my steering wheel. Therefore, I would reach over the wheel to turn on the signal with my right hand.
The rehab instructor, who in Maryland is always a licensed Occupational Therapist, then wrote a prescription for me to have two items installed on my steering wheel: (1) a spinner wheel (ca. $20 on Amazon) and (2) s crossover turn signal (ca. $120 on Amazon). The spinner wheel allows me to easily turn the wheel fully with one hand. Some people choose them voluntarily, especially truck drivers, because they make it easier to turn a heavy vehicle. The crossover turn signal puts the turn signal on the right side of the wheel for me (and is *much* harder to get used to, as you have to slide your hand up the wheel to reach it).
My cost from the installer, including professional-level equipment and installation, was $570, with a one-year warranty.
The Brant's driving rehab instructor met me in an office at Mobility Works, which is a company that installs adaptive equipment and also does full van conversions. She did the cognitive assessment there and had me drive around the large parking lot to see how I drove. When you're using new equipment, a minimum of 4 hours of "on the road' instruction is required, although 10 hours is recommended, but at $130/hour I did the minimum, since I felt comfortable. Different vehicles with different adaptive equipment were available to drive, if needed.
Let me insert here that I learned later that most people practice in the driver rehab company's vehicle before installing equipment in their own, since if they don't pass the DMV driving test at the end (just like the 16-year-old's take), they won't need the equipment in their car. That would not be acceptable to me. I drive daily and value my independence. My impairment is not so severe that I have difficulty driving generally -- I was actually doing fine before the MVA sent me the letter, but apparently my self-created accommodations were not considered safe enough to protect the public.
We practiced driving on main streets, being careful to come to a full stop at stop signs, for example, changing lanes after signaling first, keeping exactly to the speed limit -- all those things that may go by the wayside once you've been driving a few years -- and the DMV examiners *do* look for all of that. While I was driving in a shopping area, she asked me what the speed limit was . Fortunately, I had looked for a sign and knew.
We also did a lot of backing into parking spaces (indicated with orange cones), because it is one of the test requirements in Maryland. They no longer test parallel parking here, thank goodness.
Alert: when I went for my driver's test, the examiner walked around my car checking that turn signals and brake lights worked before getting in the car to start the driving test.
The rehab driving instructor needs to be present for a DMV driving test, since I could not legally drive there, or home afterward, without her, so I paid for mine to drive to my local DMV for my driving test.
My new driver's license has restrictions requiring a steering knob, direction signals, and an automatic transmission.
Summary of my costs:
Equipment/installation: $570
Rehabilitation evaluation: $390 [3 hrs at $130/hr]
Driving practice: $520 for 4 hour minimum (10 hrs suggested) at $130/hr
DMV driving test: $260 for rehab instructor to be present
Susan
Maryland, like all states, I imagine, requires medical evaluation of licensed drivers with certain medical conditions. Medical providers are supposed to report patients with certain conditions to the State Department of Motor Vehicles, although many do not, I suspect, fearing they would lose a client. Drivers are supposed to self-report at the time they renew a license, although I suspect most choose not to, or simply skip over the legalese and are not aware.
Conditions that doctors are supposed to report to the DMV in Maryland for evaluation are:
- Diabetes that has caused a low blood sugar episode requiring assistance from another person in the last 6 months;
- Epilepsy;
- Seizure;
- A heart condition that has caused a loss of consciousness in the past 6 months;
- Stroke;
- A condition that causes you to have dizzy spells, fainting, or blackouts;
- Sleep apnea or narcolepsy;
- A history of traumatic brain injury (TBI);
- A condition that causes weakness, shaking, or numbness in the arms, hands, legs, or feet that may affect your ability to drive;
- A hand, arm, foot, or leg that is absent, amputated, or has a loss of function that may affect your ability to drive;
- An eye problem which prevents a corrected minimum visual acuity of 20/70 in at least one eye or binocular field of vision of at least 110 degrees;
- Alcohol use problem;
- Drug use problem;
- A mental health condition that may affect your ability to drive;
- Schizophrenia; or
- Dementia.
I was shocked when I quickly received back a notice from the DMV applying a "J" restriction to my license, which required me to be in the company of a rehabilitation specialist while driving. What? This meant I couldn't drive anywhere!
I decided to move as quickly as possible to regain a regular driver's license, but it took 5 months. Did I occasionally drive anyway? Sure, but not very far or very long, except to driving school, which was 30 minutes away.
The DMV had sent me a list of certified driving schools in the area. I chose Brant's, which services MD, DC, VA, DE, NJ, & WV.
Brant's Driving School
There is a "clinical" part of the evaluation, which includes a cognitive test [e.g., what is today's date?, memorizing a list of objects and spewing them out 5 minutes later] and an evaluation of how you manage a vehicle while actually driving. For example, I cannot lift my left arm to grab the wheel or put on the turn signal, which is on the left side of my steering wheel. Therefore, I would reach over the wheel to turn on the signal with my right hand.
The rehab instructor, who in Maryland is always a licensed Occupational Therapist, then wrote a prescription for me to have two items installed on my steering wheel: (1) a spinner wheel (ca. $20 on Amazon) and (2) s crossover turn signal (ca. $120 on Amazon). The spinner wheel allows me to easily turn the wheel fully with one hand. Some people choose them voluntarily, especially truck drivers, because they make it easier to turn a heavy vehicle. The crossover turn signal puts the turn signal on the right side of the wheel for me (and is *much* harder to get used to, as you have to slide your hand up the wheel to reach it).
My cost from the installer, including professional-level equipment and installation, was $570, with a one-year warranty.
The Brant's driving rehab instructor met me in an office at Mobility Works, which is a company that installs adaptive equipment and also does full van conversions. She did the cognitive assessment there and had me drive around the large parking lot to see how I drove. When you're using new equipment, a minimum of 4 hours of "on the road' instruction is required, although 10 hours is recommended, but at $130/hour I did the minimum, since I felt comfortable. Different vehicles with different adaptive equipment were available to drive, if needed.
Let me insert here that I learned later that most people practice in the driver rehab company's vehicle before installing equipment in their own, since if they don't pass the DMV driving test at the end (just like the 16-year-old's take), they won't need the equipment in their car. That would not be acceptable to me. I drive daily and value my independence. My impairment is not so severe that I have difficulty driving generally -- I was actually doing fine before the MVA sent me the letter, but apparently my self-created accommodations were not considered safe enough to protect the public.
We practiced driving on main streets, being careful to come to a full stop at stop signs, for example, changing lanes after signaling first, keeping exactly to the speed limit -- all those things that may go by the wayside once you've been driving a few years -- and the DMV examiners *do* look for all of that. While I was driving in a shopping area, she asked me what the speed limit was . Fortunately, I had looked for a sign and knew.
We also did a lot of backing into parking spaces (indicated with orange cones), because it is one of the test requirements in Maryland. They no longer test parallel parking here, thank goodness.
Alert: when I went for my driver's test, the examiner walked around my car checking that turn signals and brake lights worked before getting in the car to start the driving test.
The rehab driving instructor needs to be present for a DMV driving test, since I could not legally drive there, or home afterward, without her, so I paid for mine to drive to my local DMV for my driving test.
My new driver's license has restrictions requiring a steering knob, direction signals, and an automatic transmission.
Summary of my costs:
Equipment/installation: $570
Rehabilitation evaluation: $390 [3 hrs at $130/hr]
Driving practice: $520 for 4 hour minimum (10 hrs suggested) at $130/hr
DMV driving test: $260 for rehab instructor to be present
Susan
