Self-report versus state records for identifying crashes among older drivers

There is growing concern about the potential safety implications of the increasing number of older drivers. A primary consideration in determining risk is the method of outcome ascertainment. In the case of motor vehicle crashes, the two most common methods are self-report and state records of events.

The self-report of motor vehicle crashes was compared to state records among all active drivers (n = 358) in a representative cohort of community-living individuals age 72 years and older in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1989. In the baseline interview, participants who reported driving were asked if they had had any crashes in the previous year. This was compared to state-recorded crashes over the same period.

Of the 358 drivers, 33 either reported or had a state record of a crash in the previous year. Of the 33, 20 were identified by self-report only, 9 by both self-report and state records, and 4 by state records only. In the two cases where license reexamination was requested by the officer at the scene, both drivers reported the event in the interview.

Self-report and state records provide complementary information for the ascertainment of crashes among older drivers, although in this sample self-report yielded more events.