All enrollees in the Rochester Experimental Driver Rehabilitation Program were required to have multiphasic medical screening examinations and a brief examination by an experienced physician knowledgeable in traffic medicine. Review and analysis of 329 enrollees revealed that alcohol abuse was the most frequent medical problem (69% of the entire group) and that 53% of the group had other significant medical problems. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, psychiatric problems, liver and chest disease and visual disturbances were the most common problems and are listed in their order of frequency. 27% of the entire group were considered to have medical driving disabilities because of these medical conditions excluding alcoholism. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicle Abstract of Record, Mutliphasic Screening Examination, the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test, and the narrative reports written by the drivers were found to be more useful than the physician examination for identifying drivers with medical disabilities.

An abbreviated multiphasic screen, a medical examination procedure to be performed by a specially trained paramedical personnel is proposed for indentifying drivers with medical disabilities for driving.