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Identifying safe versus unsafe drivers following brain impairment: the Coorabel Programme
G K Fox1, G M Bashford, S L Caust
1Royal Rehabilitation Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Disability and Rehabilitation
|July 1, 1992
Summary
Multidisciplinary driver assessments, including on-road testing, are crucial for individuals with disabilities. Medical assessments alone are insufficient to determine driving fitness, especially for brain-impaired clients.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation medicine
- Neuropsychology
- Traffic safety
Background:
- The Coorabel Driver Assessment and Training Programme was established to evaluate driving ability in individuals with disabilities.
- The program integrates medical, neuropsychological, occupational therapy, and driving instructor assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary approach in assessing driver competence for people with disabilities.
- To determine the predictive value of different assessment components for driving outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of the first 129 consecutive referrals to the Coorabel Driver Assessment and Training Programme.
- Inclusion of assessments by a medical practitioner, neuropsychologist, occupational therapist, and driving instructor.
- Both off-road and on-road testing components were utilized.
Main Results:
- Non-brain-impaired clients had a lower failure rate than brain-impaired clients.
- Medical assessments alone were insufficient, with practitioners unable to decide in 47 cases.
- Neuropsychological and on-road tests provided definitive outcomes for most undecided cases, and identified individuals who passed medical but failed functional assessments.
Conclusions:
- Multidisciplinary driver competence assessment, incorporating on-road testing, is essential.
- Medical guidelines alone are inadequate for predicting driver fitness in individuals with disabilities.
- Functional and on-road assessments are critical for comprehensive driver evaluation.