Professional paper

Health ability of professional drivers and recurring alcohol abuse

Dragica Rosi-Gašparović ; Djelatnost medicine rada, Dom zdravlja u Rijeci, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Ivica Kontošić ; Medidinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka, Hrvatska

Abstract

In the Occupational Medicine Unit of the Primary Health Centre in Rijeka health ability of 6695 professional drivers and applicants for professional driving licence was assessed in respect to alcohol abuse over the period from 1991 until mid-1995. A total of 354 drivers were found to be unfit for driving a motor vehicle. Among them 66 drivers (19% of the unfit and 1 % of all examined drivers) were found to be unfit because of alcoholism. Eighteen of those, all with a controlled period of abstinence of at least six months, after return of the driving licence, were reported to have two or more recurrences of alcohol abuse, and had their driving licence laken away again. Results suggest that the percentage (27%) of drivers who as multiple recidivists wete declared unfit for driving is high considering the total number of drivers declared unlit lor driving because of alcoholism. Therefore a change is proposed to be made in the Book of Rules for the Assessment of Health Ability for Motor Vehicles Driving, calling for assessment of permanent disability for driving after multiple alcohol dependence recidivism or for temporary disability for driving during an extended period after the first established relapse of alcohol dependence.

Keywords

alcoholism; driver; health ability assessment; traffic medicine

Hrčak ID:

145035

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/145035

Publication date:

3.10.1996.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 1.363 *