In addition, driver retraining courses are available. State licensing policies can also extend the period during which a person with minor limitations can drive safely. Sixteen states have enacted graduated licensing laws. These laws enable the state to identify driving conditions under which a particular driver might be unsafe and then to issue a graduated license that restricts the person from driving under those unsafe conditions. Holders of graduated licenses might be licensed to drive only under specific conditions relating, for example, to time of day, destination, or type of vehicle.
Some state licensing laws focus on physical or medical conditions.
As of 1992, seven states had licensing laws that required physicians to report physical or medical conditions that might impair driving skills to the state licensing bureau. Some states have enacted laws that use age as a screening tool to identify risky drivers. These states require special testing for renewal such as knowledge tests, vision tests, or road tests. However, researchers do not currently know whether age-based requirements result in removing unsafe drivers from the roads or in simply reducing the number of older drivers, whether they are safe drivers or not. Older persons may also regulate their own driving behavior.