The acceptability to older drivers of different types of licensing restriction

The primary objective of this study was to determine the acceptability of various driving restrictions to older drivers. Licensed drivers aged 65 years or more living in the community in the Ottawa, Ontario area were recruited by means of posters and advertisements in regional and local newspapers. We recruited 86 subjects, 56 men and 30 women with a mean age of 75 years (50 urban and 36 rural residents). The subjects completed a one-hour interview with one of two trained study nurses during which their driving restriction preferences (utilities) were determined using a modified standard gamble technique. Highly endorsed restrictions included regular assessment by the Ministry of Transportation (mean utility 0.94), driving with vehicle adaptations (0.94) and daytime driving only (0.93). Less acceptable restrictions included avoidance of roads with a speed limit greater than 60 km/h (0.50), limitation of destinations (0.45), driving only within a 10-km radius of home (0.45) and requirement of another licensed driver in the vehicle (0.42). Our subjects' preferences appeared to be inversely related to the impact on autonomy and the ability to access the community. These findings may be useful to motor transport administrators in designing effective restricted licensing programs that are acceptable to older drivers.