It is common knowledge that a person can lose their driving privileges for various crimes and traffic offenses in the State of Ohio. For instance vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, OVI, drug possession are just a few of the offenses the judge can suspend a driver’s license. In some instances, the judge is required to suspend the license.

Three less common instances that can result in the suspension of driving privileges do not even deal with a crime or traffic offense. The first instance is when a license is up for renewal and the person cannot pass the eye examination at the license bureau. Should that happen, the Deputy Registrar is required to send your license to the State and you will have to go to the eye doctor and obtain a new prescription that would enable you to see and drive.

Should the doctor not be able to remedy the problem, the State of Ohio will suspend the driver’s license of the person. Some people lose the driving privileges during the night time only.

A second situation is when a police officer sends a person in for a retest. Over the years I had many people come in and ask that I send their parent for a retest. The State of Ohio has a form that the officer can sign for an eye exam, a doctor’s physical or a full blown taking the written and physical driving test all over again like a 16 year old does.

Most people who are losing their eyesight or physical control of their reflexes will simply not renew their driver’s license. Of course this is hard on the family to tell mom or dad that they can’t driver anymore.

As a police officer I have to think of not only the feeling and safety of the poor person who is being sent in for a retest, but for the general public’s safety as well. I was never happy sending a retest in, but my oath was to the general good of society, not to any one individual.

The last of the situations is less commonly known, but is very much as important. That is when a person is judged mentally ill. When a Probate Judge finds a person to be mentally ill, the judge is required to send the license along with a court order to the State of Ohio and the person’s driving privileges are suspended until the person is deemed mentally competent.

I do know of one man whose son would hide the rotor or battery on his father’s car. His dad would go to the store and purchase a new one and keep driving. When the man and his wife tried to go to the grocery store and got on the traffic circle on North Dixie Dr. in Northridge one day they kept going in circles, not able to figure out which way to go to get off. When they did get off, the area was unfamiliar and they would turn around and get back on the traffic circle.

They finally went to a pay phone, which we had back in the day and called their son to come get them. The wife would not let her husband drive again after that. Comical but sad at the same time.

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First Group 2x2
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