Citation

Pope CN, Fazeli PL, Bell TR, Gaini MS, Mrug S, Vance DE, Ball KK. J. Aging Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0898264320915111

PMID

32340518

Abstract

Objective: To assess the longitudinal association between fall history reported at a driver's license screening visit and the likelihood of subsequent vehicle crashes. Method: A total of 1,127 older adults were recruited from Maryland State Motor Vehicle Administration sites and interviewed annually over 15 years. Results: Individuals who reported a previous fall were more likely to be female, perform worse on physical functioning and divided attention tasks, and report more situational driving avoidance compared with non-fallers at baseline. Females who reported a fall at baseline had a 2.6× greater likelihood of subsequently reporting a crash over the 15 years than males. Among those who reported a fall at baseline, greater weekly driving exposure over the 15 years was associated with a 23% higher likelihood of a subsequent crash. Discussion: These findings support the utility of investigating nontraditional driver screening methods to identify drivers who may be at increased risk of future driving difficulties.

Language: en

Keywords

aging; driving; falls; injury; mobility