With more than six million licensed drivers in New Jersey, it is statistically inevitable that medically impaired drivers will cause some auto accidents.

Indeed, a 2009 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that from July 3, 2005, to Dec. 31, 2007, an estimated 49,868 drivers nationwide were reported to have been involved in crashes precipitated by drivers’ medical emergencies. The study, titled “The Contribution of Medical Conditions to Passenger Vehicle Crashes,” analyzed data from the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey (NMVCCS). The NMVCCS was limited to crashes involving light passenger vehicles to which emergency medical services had been dispatched.