Citation

Di Stefano M, MacDonald W. Proc. Australas. Road Safety Res. Policing Educ. Conf. 2002; 6(1): 73-78.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, copyright holder varies, Publisher Monash University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study was conducted to obtain information about older driver errors, using information recorded during licence review tests of drivers reported to VicRoads as possibly unsafe. Data were extracted for a 12 month period; 533 road test cases were analysed; average driver age was 76.1 years. Performance scores were derived for intersection negotiation, lane changing, low speed manoeuvres, positioning and speed control, safety margin and car control. Some errors required the Licence Testing Officer (LTO) to intervene, and details of these errors were recorded in terms of type of error, driving manoeuvre attempted and driving context. It was found that test outcome (pass/fail) was primarily determined by whether or not the LTO intervened. Separate logistic regression analysis with driver performance scores and driver age correctly predicted 94 percent of test outcomes. The strongest predictors were intersection score (percent negotiated satisfactorily), position on road score (percent of observations satisfactory), and safety margin score (percent of observations satisfactory).