Effect of the Length of Medical Certification on Safety

FMCSA relies on the certified medical examiner to assess and determine if the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver meets the physical qualification requirements cited in 49 CFR 391.41. The maximum time a medical examiner can certify a driver is 2 years. The medical examiner can, however, certify for a period of time less than 2 years. Drivers with specific medical conditions require more frequent certification. For example, drivers with the following conditions can be certified for a maximum of 1 year: (1) hypertension (high blood pressure) stable on treatment; (2) heart disease; (3) drivers qualified under 391.64 the original diabetes and vision waiver program; (4) drivers qualified under the new insulin and vision exemption program; (5) driving in exempt intra-city zone If the medical examiner determines that condition requires more frequent monitoring, the medical examiner may certify the driver for 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, or other timeframe.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • USDOT Research Hub DisplayID 157576

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $182390.00
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

  ,    
• Managing Organizations:

  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

  Washington, DC   
• Project Managers:

  Hallquist, Theresa

• Start Date: 20200924
• Expected Completion Date: 20210923
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Medical-related Studies
• Subprogram: Safety & Performance-based rules

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Certification; Commercial drivers; Diseases and medical conditions; Health; Qualifications
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01866724
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 6 2022 9:48AM