DRIVING RECORD OF NEUROPSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS.

DRIVING RECORDS WERE OBTAINED FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR ALL PATIENTS ADMITTED TO THE NEUROPSYCHIATRIC WARDS OF A VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL WITH ACTIVE DRIVERS LICENSES IN THEIR POSSESSION. THE 165-PATIENT SAMPLE HAD ACCIDENT AND VIOLATION RECORDS WHICH DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE CALIFORNIA MALE DRIVING POPULATION. 80% OF THE SAMPLE HAD NO ACCIDENTS AND MORE THAN 3 OF THE SAMPLE HAD NO MORE THAN 1 DRIVING VIOLATION DURING THE 3 YR. PRECEDING HOSPITALIZATION. THERE WAS NO CLEAR-CUT DIFFERENCE IN NEGLIGENT-OPERATOR POINT COUNT BETWEEN THE PATIENT GROUP AND THE CALIFORNIA MALE DRIVING POPULATION EXCEPT AT THE HIGH END OF THE POINT-COUNT DISTRIBUTION FOR A VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF PATIENTS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)