Question: Does the DMV in Hawaii have a program for senior citizens who fall slightly below vision requirements? In California they have a restricted driver’s license that allows seniors to drive within 10 miles of their home and no night driving or freeway driving. They require that the driver still has good peripheral vision and must take a driving test. What about Hawaii?
Answer: No, “Hawaii does not have such a program as you describe for our seniors. There is a standard vision requirement that applies to all drivers, with restrictions based on a medical advisory regardless of age,” said Sheri Kajiwara, director of the city’s Department of Customer Services, which administers driver’s licensing.
The Hawaii Driver’s Manual does describe a restricted license that sounds like what you need, but it’s not specifically for older drivers. As Kajiwara said, restrictions are based on the individual’s condition and driving ability, “applied fairly across all age groups.” The same is true in California, according to its rules.
Here’s what Hawaii’s manual says, on Page 16 (808ne.ws/driveman):
“Driver licenses can be issued to individuals who have disabilities or reduced capability to drive safely in all types of traffic conditions. This means that drivers who have experienced medical problems such as major surgery, amputation or serious illnesses do not necessarily have to give up driving. Additionally, drivers who experience diminished reflexes or vision problems should know that it does not always result in the loss of their driving privileges. The driver’s licensing office can review a driver’s medical report provided by the driver’s health care provider and administer vision and skills tests that measure a driver’s functional ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Once this assessment has been completed, a license with restrictions may be issued, which will permit the driver to continue driving within the safe limits of the driver’s ability.”
Among numerous potential restrictions listed (besides wearing corrective lenses) are that the person be limited to daytime driving or driving only for work.
Be forewarned that the process involves the state’s Medical Advisory Board, which you can read about on the state Department of Transportation’s website, at 808ne.ws/medbrd. There have been complaints that it takes the board a long time to make decisions because of difficulty in establishing a quorum.
In California, common restrictions for older drivers include having an additional right-side mirror, not driving on the freeway, not driving at night, not driving during rush hour and driving only around the neighborhood (for example, to the doctor, grocery store or church), according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ “Senior Guide for Safe Driving,” which you can read at 808ne.ws/cadmv.
The California guide says that “there are no specific restrictions for seniors. All restrictions are based on conditions, not age.”
How to obtain a restricted license is included in the guide to help seniors adjust as they age; some notice themselves that they are not as agile on the road as they used to be. “Driving restrictions should not be seen as punitive or as an attempt to limit your driving. They are actually imposed to assist you, as an effort to help you drive safer and longer,” the guide says.
Mahalo
Many thanks to the man who pulled over in the rain to assist when my car stalled in Tuesday’s terrible morning traffic. Luckily, the problem was brief, and … I was back on the road with no help needed. But I appreciate his instinct. — Grateful motorist
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
