One of the first questions a patient may ask their physician after a serious illness or injury is “When can I return to driving?”  The driving evaluation program at Hilton Head Regional Medical Center  may help your doctor answer that question and may give you “the green light to return to driving”.

The evaluation process is usually divided into two parts, a “Clinical Evaluation” and a “Behind the Wheel Evaluation”.  The clinical assessment is a pre-driving screening to determine which aspects of the client’s driving may interfere with the safe operation of a motor vehicle and whether or not he or she is ready for the “Behind the Wheel” test.

Hilton Head Regional Medical Center is offering a Clinical or Pre-Driving Skill Evaluation for a fee.  Referrals are made to other programs for behind-the-wheel tests.  All referrals are by doctor’s prescription and are appropriate for clients who have had a CVA, brain injury, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, memory loss or other conditions.

• The program is conducted by an Occupational Therapist who has specialized training to assess the skills required for driving.
• The pre-driving skill evaluation consists of a series of tests to assess vision, perception, cognition, strength, coordination, endurance and balance.
• Candidates who demonstrate good potential in the pre-driving program may be referred for behind-the-wheel testing and training.
• Advice on adaptive equipment to improve driver independence and safety.

For further information and program cost, please contact the Occupational Therapy Department at (843) 705-8840.