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Published on: January 24, 2020
Age-based testing for driver's license renewal: potential implications for older Australians
Lesley A Ross1, Colette Browning, Mary A Luszcz
1Department of Psychology and Roybal Center for Translational Research on Aging and Mobility, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. LesleyARoss@gmail.com
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|February 4, 2011
Summary
Age-based testing (ABT) for driver
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Transportation Safety
Background:
- Older adults' driving cessation is a growing concern.
- Age-based testing (ABT) policies aim to ensure road safety.
- The impact of ABT on driving behavior and health status is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of age-based testing (ABT) for driver's license renewal on older Australians.
- To determine if ABT is associated with driving cessation.
- To examine the prevalence of cognitive and visual impairments in drivers subject to ABT.
Main Methods:
- Secondary data analysis of a pooled community-based dataset (DYNOPTA project).
- Included 5,206 adults aged 65–103 from three Australian states.
- Assessed self-reported driving status, ABT status, demographics, medical conditions, cognitive function (MMSE), and visual acuity.
Main Results:
- Older adults required to undergo ABT were 1.5 to 2.2 times more likely to report not driving.
- Logistic regression accounted for demographic and health covariates.
- Similar proportions of drivers with cognitive or visual impairments were observed, regardless of ABT status.
Conclusions:
- Mandatory age-based testing for license renewal is linked to reduced driving rates among older adults.
- ABT did not appear to disproportionately affect drivers with cognitive or visual impairments.
- Further research is needed on ABT's impact on crash rates and alternative testing strategies.
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