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Mobility impairments in crash-involved older drivers
R V Sims1, G McGwin, L V Pulley
1University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. rsims@aging.dom.uab.edu
Objective:
To evaluate potential associations of impairments in physical function with motor vehicle crash involvement in older drivers.
Methods:
Case participants were randomly selected residents of Mobile County, Alabama, greater or less than 65 years old who had sustained an at-fault motor vehicle crash in 1996. Similarly selected crash-free controls were frequency matched to cases on gender and age. Self-report data on demographic variables, medical conditions, medications, driving exposure, and function were collected by telephone interviewers.
Results:
Relative to crash-free subjects, crash-involved drivers were significantly more likely to report difficulty walking one fourth mile and moving outdoors. Marginally significant associations were observed for trouble carrying a heavy object 100 yards and for the occurrence of falls in the prior year. Increasing numbers of functional limitations were directly related to the odds of crash involvement.
Discussion:
In comparison to crash-free controls, crash-involved older drivers are more likely to report other mobility-related impairments, possibly including falls.