Fox 19: Drivers failing to report health conditions to BMV could put others at risk
In 2022, 865 out of nearly 3.5 million people applying or renewing their driver's license in Ohio self-reported medical issues to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
BMV officials say that number is too low, as people not reporting their medical issues can lead to medical-related crashes that lead to injuries and deaths.
The University of Cincinnati's David Ficker, MD, told Fox 19 he knows of numerous epilepsy patients who were involved in a seizure-related crash.
“Particularly, if you’re looking just at epilepsy and the prevalence of epilepsy, 1%-2% of the population, that translates into a much higher number of patients that should be reporting to the BMV that they’ve had this history of seizures or epilepsy,” said Ficker, professor in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine in UC’s College of Medicine and a UC Health physician at the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute.
Ficker said if he recommends a driver stay off the road and he does not feel they will listen, there is an avenue for him to report that driver to the state, but he needs the patient to sign off so he can discuss their medical issues with the Ohio BMV.
Featured photo at top of person with their hand on a steering wheel. Photo/Peter Kalonji/iStock.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.