By BikerEric - May 9 2010
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According to DOT ( Department of Transportation) Rules and regulations
If you are diagnosed with OSA and are left untreated OR not following your treatment regimen , Your DOT driver's certificate can/will be withdrawn. ( Basically you have failed your DOT physical)
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DOT Health and Safety Guidelines
Are your drivers compliant with current medical fitness standards?
The Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently proposed updates to existing guidelines regarding compliance with medical fitness standards related directly and indirectly to respiratory dysfunctions, including sleep apnea.
Physical qualifications, related to respiratory dysfunction for drivers, state that "a person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) if that person has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of a respiratory dysfunction likely to interfere with his/her ability to control and drive a commercial motor vehicle safely. If the medical examiner detects a respiratory dysfunction, that in anyway is likely to interfere with the driver's ability to safely control and drive a commercial motor vehicle, the driver must be referred to a specialist for further evaluation and therapy."3
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulatio...reg=391.41
FMCSA Rules and Regulations Section 391.41
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In the State of Maryland 'Sleep Apnea" is one of several medical reasons you can lose your Driver's License entirely!
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Approval by Driver Wellness & Safety and/or the Medical Advisory Board is required if you have any of the conditions listed below. If you have a listed condition and you are applying for a learner's permit, you must have approval prior to the issuance of the permit. If your driver's license has been revoked and you have asked to have it reinstated, you may be referred by the MVA for review by Driver Wellness and Safety and/or the Medical Advisory Board.
1. Cerebral Palsy;
2. Diabetes requiring insulin;
3. Epilepsy;
4. Multiple sclerosis;
5. Muscular dystrophy;
6. Irregular heart rhythm or heart condition;
7. Stroke, ministroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA);
8. Alcohol dependence or abuse;
9. Drug or substance dependence or abuse;
10. Loss of limb or limbs;
11. Traumatic brain injury;
12. Bipolar disorder;
13. Schizophrenic disorders;
14. Panic attack disorder;
15. Impaired or loss of consciousness, fainting, blackout, or seizure;
16. Disorder which prevents a corrected minimum visual acuity of 20/70 in each eye and a field of vision of at least 110 degrees;
17. Parkinson's disease;
18. Dementia, for example, Alzheimer's disease or multi-infarct dementia;
19. Sleep disorders, for example, narcolepsy or sleep apnea; or
20. Autism.
For a variety of other reasons, your name also may be given to the MVA for possible referral to the Board, by any of the following:
* Law enforcement agencies
* Judges or attorneys
* Private physicians, hospitals or health care providers
* Complaints from private citizens (after investigation by the MVA)
If you are referred, the MVA’s Driver Wellness and Safety Division (DW&S) will send you an information packet indicating additional information needed from you. The DW&S may then decide to refer you for an MAB evaluation.
The MAB does not perform medical examinations. The physician evaluating your situation primarily depends upon reports from your physician or treatment source. However, the physician may ask you to come in for an interview.
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Just an FYI for those of you that didn't know how serious this can be to your ability to make a living or even your freedom to move about.
"It is said , that some suffer from insanity, I, however, Choose to enjoy it"