Evaluation of restricted driver licensing for medical impairments in Saskatchewan.

Abstract

Driving ability may be adversely affected by many medical conditions and many jurisdictions therefore allow for a restricted license that permits driving under specified conditions. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate restricted licensing by comparing "at-fault" crash and traffic violation rates for drivers with a restricted license to the general driving population and also to compare driving pre and post restriction. Following multivariate Poisson regression, the adjusted IRR for "at-fault" crashes and traffic violations for restricted versus non-restricted drivers were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.89 to 0.95) and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.85 to 0.90) respectively. Interventional time series analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in "at-fault" crash and traffic violation rates post imposition of restrictions. Restricted licensing programs are effective and allow persons with decreased driving ability due to medical conditions to continue driving under specific conditions.