ABSTRACT

The driving capacity screening test for the people with physical disabilities has been heavily criticized due to the following reasons. First, the passing scores have been set based on phys-ical power that is much higher than the power actually required for driving. Second, there is a lack of scientific data for the criteria of the passing scores. Third, it does not test persons who might have cognitive and visuo-perceptual deficits which affect safe driving greatly. The current traffic and transportation law warrants that the people with bilateral upper extremity disabilities are allowed to apply for a driver’s license examination if he/she can drive an individually modi-fied vehicle safely. It means that the focus of the driver licensing system for the people with physical disabilities has to be shifted from restricting the driving rights to enabling the potential drivers. In order to protect the individual’s rights and public safety, the driver rehabilitation spe-cialist system which emphasizes comprehensive evaluation and training for the people with physical disabilities has to be introduced. This article presents the critical roles the occupational therapists may play as driver rehabilitation specialists and generalists in the rehabilitation of drivers with physical disabilities.