Scripps Encinitas offers driving assessment program

ENCINITAS — People who want to determine their capacity to safely drive a motor vehicle after having a stroke or brain injury — or whose faculties may be impaired by aging — now have a new avenue to get an objective perspective on their abilities.
The rehabilitation center at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas has launched a comprehensive driving assessment program. The program is available to individuals and their families and friends who may be wrestling with the difficult decision of whether it’s safe to resume or continue driving.
The full program costs $425, takes approximately two hours to complete and is offered Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, by appointment. More information is available by calling the rehabilitation center at Scripps Encinitas at (760) 633-6507.
The Scripps Encinitas driving assessment program offers a variety of objective evaluation tools. These include a computerized driving simulator, a dual-control assessment vehicle and driving-specific vision and reaction-time testing equipment. All participants in the program are evaluated by a certified driving rehabilitation specialist and occupational therapist. Each evaluation begins with a clinical evaluation by an occupational therapist to gauge the participant’s motor skills, range of motion and cognitive functioning.
If appropriate, the participant will next undergo an assessment on the interactive driving simulator, located in a “zero-risk” environment in the Scripps Encinitas rehab center. Sitting in the simulator’s driver seat, the participant uses the steering wheel, dashboard and brake and gas pedals to navigate through a virtual road trip as seen on a widescreen TV monitor. A computer records the participant’s responses to the various roadway situations, while the driving rehab specialist observes behavioral responses to the challenges encountered.
Participants who satisfactorily complete the driving simulator (and who have a valid California driver’s license) will then go through an evaluation with the driving rehab specialist in the hospital’s dual-control assessment vehicle. These sessions may progress onto an open roadway, depending on the driver’s performance. The driving rehab specialist has the ability to control the vehicle at any time if necessary.
Following the assessment, the driving rehab specialist reports findings to the participant’s physician. The physician then makes a final determination about the participant’s capacity to drive, and will contact the California Department of Motor Vehicles if appropriate. The need for subsequent DMV testing will vary, depending on each individual situation.
The driving simulator and assessment vehicle were acquired through philanthropic gifts by the Green family of Rancho Santa Fe and the Briggs family of Carlsbad.