Regarding driving,  I had a scary  experience last week.   I was making a
left turn out of my development and almost  hit a family of pedestrians who
we out for a stroll.  They were scared but unhurt.    After by DBS surgery
I went to a driver evaluation program at a local hospital with a driving
test given after I was cleared.  Yet I had not driven for 2 years and was
rusty.  In the intervening time I have driven a maximum of 20 miles away
from home and stopped driving at night  because my night vision is
awful.  I tend to judge things  closer  than they actually  are which
causes me to top break too soon and makes a hazard out me for other cars.

My problem is assessing the risk I am to myself and others.  If I honestly
could  say that I thought it was the PD or something related to it (meds) I
would stop driving in a minute.without needing an official to tell me  But
if it was something else, I actually  wind up losing my  self
confidence.  At this point I am convinced that the PD did not play a
significant role in the near accident Pedestrians are almost hit by drivers
without PD  every day.  Yet there is a nagging part of me that still
wonders. My vision of them  was blocked by the post of the  car and and
there were oncoming  cars that I was watching for and snow banks that were
blocking visibility as well.  It was my quick reflexes. that prevented a
serious accident but my failure to look closely that put me and that family
in danger.

I recognize  and accept that it is the MD's duty  coupled with that of the
DMV to say whether I should drive . I  by state law must  renew my drivers
licence for 1 year periods because I have PD The next review in about
November.   I am convinced that there are many drivers out there that are
much worse than am I but  that isn't my problem.  I must  be careful to
avoid all accidents and not have close calls the one last week. My problem
is how do you tell whether I  pose an unacceptable  risk on the road?  And
as I write this how does one define "acceptable risk"?

JR I think your question is quite valid "what constitutes acceptable risk"?


At 09:52 AM 2/19/01 -0800, you wrote:
>PD Impairment And Driving
>
>Remarkable, how people so readily accept general restrictions
>on driving privilege, so long as none of said restrictions
>happen to be ones that might inconvenience them personally.
>
>As for a criterion of "impairment", relative to what?? What's
>so wrong about drivers with impairment that can be compensated
>by mechanical aids, experience, caution, common sense? Must
>every driver have the strength, speed, reflexes, and insight
>of Superman?
>
>If you think so, then join me and we'll stick it to anyone who:
>-needs glasses to see
>-is colorblind
>-is deaf
>-is under 25
>-is over 25
>-has a prosthesis
>-is missing a limb but lacks a prosthesis
>-drives from wheelchair seat using hand controls
>-can't read local language of traffic signs
>-can't read anything
>-has ADHD
>-didn't get past 3d grade in school
>-gets anaphylaxis from bee sting
>-smokes
>-can't stand smoke
>-wears baseball cap, backward
>-wears any hat
>-drinks hot coffee, carried on lap tray
>-is clinically ugly
>-voted for Clinton
>-is a chronic grouch
>-looks just like his vehicle
>-...well, perhaps you get the idea. Cheers,
>Joe
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694
>3527 Cody Road
>Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5013

Charles T. Meyer, M.D.
Middleton, WI
PD DX  12 years (at age 44)
Age 56