MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- A Blount County man convicted of driving while impaired on his medicine is headed to prison for eight years, but there could be a bigger issue involved that could put your family at risk.

That issue is the number of people driving with medical conditions that should be keeping them off the road.

Tommy Carroll will spend eight years behind bars for the death of Jeffrey Roth.

Roth was a cyclist along Highway 321 in Maryville when hit by Carroll in August 2006 while taking medication.

Kathy Roth says, "He had overdosed, or over medicated on pain killers. I don't think that it makes a difference if it's alcohol or if it's pain killers."

Roth's widow is pleased with the sentence but Carroll also claimed to have a seizure when the accident happened. Dr. Jonathan Greene says medical problems can be a danger for people who drive.

Dr. Jonathan Greene says, "Usually in order to be able to drive with a history of seizure disorder you have to have been seizure free for a certain period of time."

Dr. Greene says other medical problems can affect driving, such as dementia in the elderly, sleep disorders, and those requiring pain medications.

Law enforcement say they look for people who have medical conditions, can take them off the road and report it.

Maryville Police Sergeant Michael Braden says, "Give that to the department of safety for a retest. Basically they'll call you in and check that medical condition and see how it affects you, how it affects your ability to drive."

Sgt. Braden says they can pull a person's license.

Dr. Greene says doctors can also have their patients retested by the state to clear them to drive if they feel there may be a problem.

Since Roth's death, his widow has started a foundation for better cycle safety.

Kathy Roth says, "If we can educate the masses about our foundation and what we need to get done for the cyclist, I think that it's going to be safer and one more life can be saved."

Besides getting a misdemeanor law passed in Tennessee making it illegal to come within three feet of a cyclist, Roth's widow has a foundation in her husband’s name. Kathy Roth hopes it will help increase cycling safety and provide assistance to families touched by cycling tragedies.

For more information about the Jeff Roth Cycling Foundation visit JeffRothCyclingFoundation.org.