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A traffic sign recognition test can discriminate between older drivers who have and have not had a motor vehicle
J M MacGregor1, D H Freeman, D Zhang
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555, USA.
Objectives:
To determine whether a Traffic Sign Recognition Test (TSRT) can identify older drivers who recently had a motor vehicle crash (MVC).
Design:
Retrospective, matched, case-control study.
Setting:
Licensed drivers in Galveston, Texas.
Participants:
60 crash and 60 control subjects matched for age and gender. Cases were identified from accident records. Controls were selected from a randomized list of licensed drivers in Galveston.
Measurements:
Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the TSRT.
Results:
A TSRT significantly distinguished between case and control groups (P = .01). The MMSE did not (P = .61). A TSRT predicted MVC in a multivariate analysis controlling for education, MMSE score, race/ethnicity, and mileage driven/year (odds ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval = 0.77-1.00).
Conclusion:
A TSRT successfully identifies older drivers with a recent MVC, but the test lacks sensitivity and specificity. A prospective study is needed to further delineate the TSRT's usefulness in predicting crash risk in older drivers.
