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Driving With Parkinson's

A MyParkinsonsTeam Member asked a question 💭

Just read a recent posting on Driving with Parkinson's. Has anyone experienced an issue in obtaining automobile insurance after informing your insurance company that you have been diagnosed. Can you even obtain insurance if you have PD? If you don't inform your insurance company of your PD and you get in an accident, can they refuse to pay your claim which could potentially expose you to a large liability lawsuit?

April 3, 2021
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A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

Feeling for him , my license cancelled to , i am still in mourning xx

April 25, 2021
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

North Carolina DMV website states:
Although anyone may request that a driver be medically evaluated, the requests to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicle's Medical Review Program typically come from:

Physicians who notify NCDMV about patients who they feel might be at risk to themselves or others

Law enforcement officers who have observed drivers with poor driving habits related to health problems, such as poor vision, slow reaction time, reports of blackouts, falling asleep or seizures
Wreck reports related to a medical condition that might have contributed to a motor vehicle accident
Involuntary commitment orders and adjudication incompetency orders submitted by the court system

Anyone requesting that a driver be medically evaluated must complete and sign the Request for Medical Evaluation form. Anonymous requests are NOT accepted.

This recommendation must only be made in the interest of public safety. Advanced age alone CANNOT be the sole reason for a medical evaluation.

April 5, 2021
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

That's a good question. I worry about my husband driving. He isn't willing to stop at this point and most of the time is absolutely fine. I have become more of a backseat driver though, because I am nervous when he doesn't see something or drifts in his lane.

April 3, 2021
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

Driving allows personal freedom, control and independence. Many people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) continue to drive safely long after their diagnosis.

While Parkinson’s progression and medication side effects may affect a person’s driving ability, the diagnosis alone does not tell the whole story. Much depends on a person’s specific symptoms, as well as the presence of other age-related changes.
more
https://www.parkinson.org/Living-with-Parkinson...

A very important indicator of whether a person should be driving, is how well the person is currently driving. For example, have there been recent accidents or traffic tickets, small scrapes on the car, potentially dangerous actions observed by passengers in the car, or getting lost while driving, etc? In such cases a doctor may recommend driving retirement or a comprehensive driving evaluation.
Read more
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/article/driving-a...

Parkinson's Can Affect Driving Ability
Many people with Parkinson's can continue to drive without difficulty. But for some, especially those who are older and have later-stage disease, movement and cognition problems can reduce driving ability. Tremor, slowness, stiffness or dyskinesia (involuntary, uncontrolled movement) could make it difficult to grip the steering wheel or brake suddenly. Thought problems, which can range from mild to significant, can impair visuospatial skills -- seeing and understanding where you and other objects are in space. This could affect activities such as reading a map, merging into traffic and parking a car.

Some Parkinson's (and other prescription and over-the-counter) medications also may cause side effects, such as sleepiness or confusion. Always talk to your doctor about how medication may affect you and whether you should temporarily stop driving when starting a new drug.

There Are Many Ways to Manage Driving Concerns
If you, your family or your doctor notice problems with thinking or driving (such as getting lost in familiar places, forgetting to signal or having near misses), it may be time to have a conversation about driving.
Read more
https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/ask-md-driving...

I was diagnosed almost 9 years ago. I drove from NY to FL abd back without incident, although I drove no more than 5 hours/day and avoided driving at night.
--- Jud

April 5, 2021
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

My husbands doctor had to report him as having Parkinson's so his license was taken away. That did not go over very well with him.
A few times he took the car without me knowing One time someone brought him home. He was lost. Thankfully it was someone who new him.

April 9, 2021

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