For people living with epilepsy, the inability to drive following a seizure often comes with frustration, a loss of freedom and dependency on friends and family members for transportation. Complicating matters, different states have different post-seizure disqualification periods.

For years, in order for a person with epilepsy to resume driving in Pennsylvania, the minimum seizure-free period was six months — a waiting period that was out of step with national medical guidelines.

But as of March 28, the waiting period in Pennsylvania has been reduced to three months, thanks in part to Dr. Andrea Synowiec, system vice chair for the Department of Neurology at Allegheny Health Network and a member of PennDOT’s Medical Advisory Board.

The updated regulation brings Pennsylvania into alignment with longstanding recommendations from the American Epilepsy Society, the American Academy of Neurology and the Epilepsy Foundation of America, organizations that have advocated for the three-month standard since the 1990s.

Synowiec joined PennDOT’s Medical Advisory Board about six years ago and began advocating for the change shortly after.

The board is a multidisciplinary group that includes physicians across various specialties as well as legal and public health experts. The group spent several years reviewing clinical data, public safety considerations, and patient impact before unanimously supporting the change.

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the change on Jan. 15, leading to the new rule that took effect in March.

Epilepsy is a class of brain disorders characterized by chronic, recurrent seizures. It can have a variety of causes, including head injury, stroke, infectious disease, and genetic factors. Over 3.4 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease.

The science behind the revision is straightforward: Research has long shown that longer driving restrictions do not necessarily translate to greater public safety, in large part because patients frequently disregard restrictions they find impossible to follow.

“When you tell someone they can’t drive for six months or longer, they’re going to lose their job, so a lot of them drive anyway,” Synowiec said. “Three months is the highest risk time, and a short enough window that people are more likely to obey the law.”

The regulatory change reflects evolving medical understanding of epilepsy and seizure risk.

Research reviewed by the Medical Advisory Board demonstrated that shorter restriction periods improve patient adherence without increasing crash risk.

Pennsylvania’s revised regulation maintains its requirement for physician reporting of seizure activity, ensuring that medical professionals continue to play a central role in determining when patients can safely return to driving.