Driver Rehabilitation

Start by talking to your doctor about whether you’re ready to begin driver rehabilitation. If he or she believes you are, request a prescription for a driving evaluation. Next, contact our Driver Rehabilitation Program by calling 616.840.8161 for our Grand Rapids office or 231.421.1599 for our Traverse City location.

Note: Mary Free Bed doesn’t have the ability to grant or remove an individual’s license.

Please contact the Mary Free Bed Driver Rehabilitation Program directly to learn more about fees and associated costs. We’ll work with you to identify potential sources of financial assistance.

A pre-driving evaluation frequently is covered by insurance and completed by a Mary Free Bed occupational therapist with specialized training and equipment.

On-road driving evaluations typically must be done at private businesses that are mostly private-pay services. Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialists use vehicles licensed by the state to be used for on-road evaluation and training.

Certain medical conditions or injuries can impact your visual, perceptual and cognitive skills, as well as your mobility. This, in turn, can affect your ability to safely drive. A driving evaluation is recommended to ensure you can safely return to the road.

A comprehensive driving evaluation is completed in a safe environment and usually requires two parts:
• A clinical evaluation completed by an occupational therapist in a hospital outpatient facility.
• An on-road driving evaluation implemented by a private business certified by the state.

A driving evaluation is completed in a safe environment that includes a combination of clinical testing and actual on-road driving in a vehicle equipped with an instructor’s brake. The instructor’s brake allows the evaluator to stop the vehicle to avoid a collision or involvement in a situation that could cause a collision, such as not stopping at a stop sign or at a red traffic light. When the evaluation is complete, a recommendation is made to you and your physician on whether you can safely return to driving.

If you haven’t received notification from the State of Michigan and your license hasn’t expired, your license likely is still valid. You’ll be notified in writing (at the address currently on your license) if information is reported to the State of Michigan and action is taken that would affect your license.

Even if your license is valid, you may consider driver rehabilitation, especially if you don’t have medical clearance to drive. If you successfully complete a driving evaluation, a report is written with recommendations to indicate that you’ve been medically cleared for driving. This report becomes a part of your medical record.

Usually, a physician doesn’t inform the State of Michigan of your medical condition because of federal protections for the release of health information. However, your physician may choose to inform the state about concerns regarding your driving after a traumatic brain injury. This may happen if you’re at elevated risk for collisions because of how the traumatic brain injury affects your processing of information and judgment. Or it might happen if you ignore a recommendation from the medical team and indicate that you’ll return to driving despite their concerns.

The Secretary of State office for the State of Michigan depends on you, your family or your physician to report to the state any medical conditions that may affect your ability to drive. At Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, this can be accomplished (via email or in person) by your physician, the occupational therapist who assesses your driving abilities, a family member or by you. The private business that performs your on-road evaluation and training also can report your inability to pass the on-road test to the state.

Your physician may discuss driving with you and even recommend that you not drive at this time. This conversation is kept confidential among you, your family and your physician. Sometimes, the conversation is noted in your chart to serve as later documentation that you were informed not to drive. You’re responsible for resolving the medical recommendation not to drive, which you can do by receiving medical clearance from your physician before returning to driving.

Special adaptations are available to make it possible to operate a motor vehicle if you have special needs for driving. A driving evaluation in an adapted vehicle is the best means to identify your specific needs.

These are among the devices tailored to drivers with specific physical challenges:
• Loss of or limited use of right arm – A steering knob allows one-handed turns of the steering wheel and provides complete control over the vehicle’s steering. It’s designed to be quickly removed from the steering wheel to allow drivers who have the use of both hands to safely operate the vehicle.
• Loss of or limited use of right leg – An accelerator can be located on the left side of the brake that allows safe operation of the accelerator and brake while using the left foot. A rigid cover over the original gas pedal is included. The quick-release left-foot accelerator pedal can be easily removed to allow another driver to use the vehicle’s original gas pedal.
• Loss of or limited use of the left arm – A steering knob is used to allow you to use one hand to turn the steering wheel. Control devices (turn signals, windshield wipers, dimmer switch and automatic speed control) typically found on the left side of the steering wheel can be moved to the right side of the steering wheel.

Whenever an adaptive device is required to continue driving, we recommend the following procedure to ensure safety:
• Behind-the-wheel training using the adaptive device(s).
• Road test completion with the Secretary of State to obtain approval to drive with an adaptive device on the vehicle.
• Device installation by a trained installer.