Has Mental Illness Impacted Your Driving or Driver License?
Apparently in some states, the required disclosures include statements about mental or emotional impairments that may affect driving safety.
A mother recently shared with us that her twenty-one year old son was asked on his driver license application if he had any mental illnesses. He was honest and said he had bipolar disorder. He was issued a license, but pending an investigation of the extent to which his mental illness might impair his driving. Medical forms were sent to his psychiatrist, but they were never returned to the department of motor vehicles and the state suspended his license. Ouch!
A couple of years ago, PegHost divulged a personal experience with learning the fact that the laws do apply to prescriptions as it relates to driving under the influence. She shares, “I am writing to share with you a harsh lesson I learned through a personal experience. I hope my incident will help others avoid a similar debacle. DUI means driving under the influence of not only alcohol and illegal drugs, but also medications prescribed by our doctors. If you don't know your meds, find out about them. Then get a second opinion before you get behind the wheel of a car!”
We haven’t talked about driving and mental illnesses a lot so I thought I would see what your experiences are with this. Have you had run-ins with law because an episode or a prescription messed with your ability to drive? Does your state’s department of motor vehicles ask about mental or emotional impairments to driving on their application? If so, how have you answered this question? Share your experiences with a comment and take our poll.
When my son got his license at 18, they asked if he had been under care for a mental health condition over the last 2 years. He answered yes and had to go through all kinds of paperwork to list the meds he was on and his doctor’s name. They did give him his license but could just as easily have denied it. I will face this same issue next year when I renew mine. One more thing about Texas to make me want to high-tail it out of here.
I only recall that the questionaire for California asks if you have lapses in consciousness, but once I found this document of medical requirements, I was rather shocked at how wide they paint with the “unfit to drive” brush:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/dl/dl51.pdf
It says that you cannot get a license if you have a psychiatric disorder that is “likely” to interfere with your ability to drive. I would imagine that not being on meds for a bipolar might qualify for that, and that being on the right meds should help you be a better driver. I take Klonopin for anxiety and I make sure that I don’t go over 1 mg when I’m going to be driving. I’ve never been asked about it when pulled over, but I’ve been thoroughly checked for drugs and alcohol, when a policeman said he thought I was on “pain pills.” I passed with flying colors.
My wife of 25 years is BP I, w/psychosis. She has been on a manic power toot for 2 months. She will not take the antipsychotic prescribed by her psychiatrist. I took possession of her drivers license, car keys, credit cards, passport, bank book ,keys to the mailbox, access to internet & email, etc., etc. & have no intention of reinstating those to her or permitting her to drive until she is stable. She may not get them then. She is mad. (Haha; a manic BP’er mad!) I suppose she is going to crash, burn out, & fall into depression. Seems a shame when a freaking pill could solve her problem. I suspect that eventually I will divorce her & she will become a homeless street person.
JC
while your at it check to make sure she’s not running rampant with cc’s you don’t know about! My mother’s bad driving was the least of her problems. Her QUACK doctor bought her sob story hook, line & sinker & thought sipping herb tea & sniffing incense would solve all her problems. And before I get anyone going off on a tangent about the benefits of herbal remedies I’m a firm believer in them in most cases like the ones I’m taking right now for my allergies
I recently renewed my license. I was asked if I had any mental disorders “that would impair my driving ability”. I told the attendant that I took medication for bipolar. She said “that’s OK, it doesn’t affect your ability to drive, right? I stated “No, I have no problems driving”. End of story.
I answered YES this last time on my driver’s license and almost wished I hadn’t. At first the lady got all wigged out but once I got HER to calm down and listen to me, she was okay about it.I told her I take my meds. and I am fine; reminded her how long I have had my permit to drive and she decided I was okay. So glad in the state of Texas our abilities are being judged by people who know nothing about our conditions.I only told the truth because it clearly states IF we do not and get found out about falsifying info, we’ll be prosecuted.
I have anxiety so bad that I have never had a license and I am now 29!
Although in Louisiana they do not ask you such questions I have been told and warned by a friend that is a lawyer that if I was ever involved in a car accident and it went to court…. because of the warnings that are on your medications they could use this against you. This could mean monetary problems and possibly getting in trouble for a DUI… Now I drive like a grandma and it makes everyone riding with me insane but, sadly it mostly means if I feel even a little twitchy or mostly my problem…. drowsy…. I just stay home. Luckily, I have a friend who can bring me where I need to go. My bipolar is more under control that it ever has been in the 10 years since i’ve been diagnosed but I can honestly tell you THERE are days I have no business on the road.
Jen
For a long time now, I have ceased answering yes to a mental illness. I have studied how “technical” the government is about the information they ask of you, and how “accurate” they want that information! Now, if I am asked if I have a mental illness I say NO to them and anyone else that asks that question. The reason? “technically” bp disorder is an EMOTIONAL illness. If I ever get asked about it, I will say I was trying to give as accurate an answer as possible! Even when “friends” ask about my bp out of curiosity, I always answer that it is an emotional illness.
I’m an Australian Driver. When I was Manic, I drove much faster and had several speeding fines which resulted in my Driver’s License being on probation for 12 months.
If I had admitted to Mental Illness my License would be suspended.
I was asked that question in Indiana, but my husband was not! I have bipolar & was wondering if they could tell by looking at me! I answered “NO.” They didn’t put the statement in about it affecting your driving ability so I was afraid I would be denied if I answered honestly. Now when I even go in to get a title for a new car I get really anxious like they are looking at me funny & since I am so anxious, they probably are!
But how can they get away w/asking some people, but not all? I didn’t read anywhere that answering a personal question like that incorrectly could be used against you It was asked orally; I didn’t answer the question in written form.
But they don’t ask about other medical conditions that could cause problems w/your driving like diabetes (as w/low blood sugar you can become non-functioning & even act like you are drunk).
When I renewed my license this last time I was asked if I had been “institutionalized”, had a “mental illness”…questions like that. I live in Texas. Since I received SS Disability my pdoc said that correct thing to have done was to tell the truth which I did. I filled out the extra paperwork & haven’t heard from them since – it’s been 3 yrs.
If you draw SS Disability how could you not answer truthfully?
Lithium and caffeine: I scraped a guardrail when I fell asleep while driving on a lonely road, apparently due to several days of caffeine withdrawl while taking lithium. My understanding is, either I need some caffeine regularly, or I must give it up. I’m careful about this now.
I really don’t remember being asked but I know
if I ever were asked, there is no way in hell that I would offer that kind of information to
the registry – of all people! The truth of the
matter is: I have Bipolar II, and I take meds,
that keeps it under control. I have never been manic in my life, only hypomanic which of course, is a step down from manic. I don’t get anxiety or hypomania anymore now, since I have been taking my meds.
I freaked out when I moved to TEXAS & had to answer that question on my form. I didn’t like the fact that it was a yes or no answer. I don’t remember but I think that I left that answer blank. I didn’t want to take the chance that the clerk would know anything about Mental Illness & Medications (which most people do.)
Good grief, most of us who have been on drowsy-inducing medications for years, the body has been able to tolerate it. I myself have been taking Depakote, Lamictal, Gabapentin for years & according to all of the warnings, I should be in a coma! The most problems I have is when driving is changing the temperature & fan speed.
Because I have a General Anxiety Disorder, I don’t do well in a pressured environment. There were many people behind me & it was bad enough that I had to argue to keep my Motorcycle Certification on my license. For me, one argument, is too much.
I have never been asked that question before. But if I did,I would have lied. I agree with both Derold and S. One….it is an emotional illness and they don’t ask about other diseases or illnesses. Again I believe it could just be prejudice.
I felt as though my privacy had been stripped from my hands,all the while waves of humiliation collided with anger. The DMV here in Colorado is forcing me to get a physical done,because when i moved here last year,i was sick when i went to the DMV to obtain my Drivers license, i did not realize i was so ill i couldnt pass the eye exam, two weeks later i was diagnosed being dehydrated and having salmonella. (I thought i was well enough to sit in a chair and wait around to take a picture) i have bipolar and my lithium levels were becoming toxic,because i was dehydrated,thus allowing me to not pass the eye exam. They said to come back within 90 days,after that it would be void. So.. a year later i went in healthy,and passed the eye exam with flying colors,the lady behind the counter said i would need a physical in order to obtain a drivers license,when i asked why she said there was no reason listed,just a note that demanded it be done. Today i finally got the physical, and on the form it asks for meds and everything,the doctor was not my primary doctor,he started acting really off standish wheni told him i had bipolar,it really pisses me off