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Self-report versus state records for identifying crashes among older drivers
R A Marottoli1, L M Cooney, M E Tinetti
1VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven.
Summary
Self-reporting and state records both identify crashes in older drivers. Self-report identified more crashes than state records in this study of senior drivers.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Traffic Safety Research
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Increasing numbers of older drivers raise safety concerns.
- Accurate ascertainment of motor vehicle crashes is crucial for risk assessment.
- Common crash ascertainment methods include self-report and state records.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of self-report versus state records in identifying motor vehicle crashes among older drivers.
- To evaluate the concordance between self-reported and state-recorded crashes in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 358 community-living individuals aged 72+ in New Haven, CT, were studied in 1989.
- Participants self-reported any motor vehicle crashes in the past year.
- Self-reported crashes were compared against official state records for the same period.
Main Results:
- 33 drivers had a reported or state-recorded crash in the previous year.
- Self-report identified 20 crashes exclusively, while state records identified 4 exclusively.
- Nine crashes were identified by both methods; both drivers requiring reexamination self-reported the event.
Conclusions:
- Self-report and state records offer complementary data for crash ascertainment in older drivers.
- Self-report appears to capture a higher number of crashes within this older driver cohort.
- Both methods are valuable, but self-report may be more sensitive for identifying crashes.