When I read
this audit by the Government Accountability Office [PDF] I just could not believe my eyes. The GAO wanted to know why more than a half million drivers still held commercial truck driving licenses (CDLs) even though they were so disabled that they were eligible to draw full disability benefits. Many are still driving. The GAO detailed 15 cases of commercially licensed drivers who clearly did not get "careful medical evaluation" before they were licensed.
Look at these cases:
Bus Driver in Florida Driver receives disability benefits due to breathing insufficiency, for which he uses three daily inhalers. He stated that he "occasionally blacks out and forgets things," but continues to hold a CDL and be hired as a substitute bus driver, despite not having the required medical certificate.
Bus Driver in Minnesota Driver receives disability benefits due to epilepsy. He also suffers from headaches, sleep apnea, asthma, and high blood pressure. Driver and medical examiner agreed that if the driver felt "loopy" he would not drive a commercial vehicle.
Truck Driver in Florida Driver receives disability benefits for multiple sclerosis, which causes fatigue. Driver hauls circus equipment to various shows, despite not having the required medical certificate.
Truck Driver in MarylandDriver receives disability benefits for complete deafness. Medical examiner acknowledged error in certifying medical fitness of driver.
The study included 12 states: California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Why does this matter?The GAO explains:
In 2006, about 5,300 people died as a result of crashes involving large commercial trucks or buses, and about 126,000 more were injured. A recent study performed by DOT showed that a significant number of commercial driver crashes were due to a physical impairment of the driver. Specifically, DOT found that about 12 percent of the crashes where the crash cause could be identified were due to drivers falling asleep, being disabled by a heart attack or seizure, or other physical impairments.
The audit highlights several cases that some of you, no doubt, covered when they occurred:
- In July 2000, a truck collided with a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle protecting a highway work zone. The patrol car exploded, killing the state trooper. The driver of the truck had previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea and hypothyroidism, and had a similar crash in 1997, when he struck the rear of a patrol car in Utah.
- In May 2005, a truck collided with a sport utility vehicle in Kansas killing a mother and her 10-month-old baby. Prior to the accident, a physician diagnosed the truck driver with a severe form of sleep apnea. The truck driver subsequently went to another physician who issued the medical certificate because the driver did not disclose this illness.
- In August 2005 in New York, a truck collided with a motor vehicle, killing the occupants. The truck driver admitted to forging a medical certificate required to get his CDL license because he had been diagnosed with a seizure disorder.
I've never understood the reasoning behind the issuance of handicapped...
