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Monday, January 17, 2000
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Truck drivers who have difficulty hearing, can see only in one eye, or use insulin to control their diabetes, may work in West Virginia, as long as they don't cross state lines.
Likewise for drivers in New York, Delaware and 13 other states.
But not in Pennsylvania, Ohio or a host of other states that follow federal guidelines that prohibit interstate commercial drivers with certain medical conditions.
A look at intrastate medical waiver programs across the U.S. shows wide disagreement on whether truck and bus drivers with diabetes or epilepsy, or who have impaired vision or hearing, should be allowed to drive.
Twenty-six states will consider waivers for diabetics and drivers with imperfect eyesight, as long as the driver has a good record and agrees to added restrictions and closer monitoring. Twenty-three others will not.
Only 16 states allow drivers with poor hearing to still drive, and 19 will consider drivers with epilepsy or other seizure disorders. Alaska does not require commercial drivers to undergo physical examinations at all.
The only consistent pattern is inconsistency: South Carolina, for example, has one of the most liberal waiver programs. North Carolina will not grant any medical waivers at all.
Even many of those states that don't allow waivers have exceptions, allowing "grandfather" clauses for long-time drivers. One state, Louisiana, stopped granting "grandfather" waivers in 1996 when they found the drivers lied about how many years they'd been driving.
Waiver Policies By State
Yes
Insulin Seizure Vision Hearing Alabama No No No No Alaska NA NA NA NA Arizona No No No No Arkansas No No Yes No California Yes Yes Yes Yes Colorado Yes Yes Yes Yes Connecticut Yes No Yes No DC No No No No Delaware Yes Yes Yes Yes Florida Yes No Yes No Georgia No No No No Hawaii No No No No Idaho No No No No Illinois No No No No Indiana No No No No Iowa No No No No Kansas Yes Yes Yes Yes Kentucky Yes Yes Yes No Louisiana No No No No Maine No No No No Maryland No No No No Massachusetts Yes No No No Michigan Yes Yes Yes Yes Minnesota Yes No Yes Yes Mississippi No No No No Missouri No No No No Montana Yes Yes Yes No Nebraska No No No No Nevada Yes Yes Yes Yes New Hampshire Yes Yes Yes Yes New Jersey No No No No New Mexico Yes Yes Yes No New York Yes Yes Yes Yes North Carolina Yes Yes Yes Yes North Dakota No Yes Yes No Ohio No No No No Oregon Yes Yes Yes Yes Pennsylvania No No No No Rhode Island Yes No No No South Carolina No No No No South Dakota No No No No Tennessee Yes No Yes No Texas No No Yes No Utah Yes Yes Yes Yes Vermont Yes Yes Yes Yes Virginia Yes No Yes No Washington Yes Yes Yes Yes West Virginia Yes Yes Yes Yes Wisconsin Yes No No No Wyoming Yes Yes Yes