Citation

Meuser TM, Carr DB, Unger EA, Ulfarsson GF. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2015; 74: 17-23.

Affiliation

University of Iceland, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland. Electronic address: gfu@hi.is.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2014.10.002

PMID

25463940

Abstract

This study investigated reasons why older adults (n=689) were reported to the Driver License Bureau, Missouri Department of Revenue, by family members as potentially unfit to drive with an emphasis on cognitive concerns and associated licensing outcomes. A total of 448 drivers were reported to have some cognitive issue; common symptoms included confusion, memory loss, and becoming lost while driving. Diagnostic labels (Alzheimer's disease (AD), cognitive impairment/dementia, brain injury/insult) were listed for 365 cases. A physician evaluation is required for license review. Of those with a diagnostic label, half (51%, n=187) failed to submit this evaluation and almost all were de-licensed immediately. Of those evaluated by a physician, diagnostic agreement between family members and physicians was high for specific conditions (100% for AD, 97% for acute brain injury), and less so for cognitive impairment/dementia (75%). This latter finding suggests that physicians and family members may understand cognitive symptoms differently. Whether cognitively impaired or not, few family reported drivers in this sample (∼2%) retained a valid license. Family members may be in the best position to recognize when medical-functional deficits impact on driving safety, and physicians and driver licensing authorities would do well to take their observations into account with respect to older driver fitness.

Language: en