RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRIVERS LICENSE RENEWAL POLICIES AND FATAL CRASHES INVOLVING DRIVERS 70 YEARS OR OLDER

Objective.-To assess the relationship between state driver's license r enewal policies and fatal crashes involving drivers aged 70 years or o lder (seniors). Design and Analysis.-Poisson regression methods were u sed to isolate the relationship between different state policies manda ting vision tests, knowledge tests, or road tests for driver's license renewal and fatal crashes involving senior drivers. The analysis cont rolled for differences among states, other than their renewal policies , likely to influence senior motor vehicle crashes. Setting.-United St ates, 1985 through 1989. Participants.-All fatal crashes identified in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatal Accident Rep orting System involving at least one driver aged 70 years or older. Ma in Outcome Measure.-The number of fatal crashes per state in which at least one of the drivers was aged 70 years or older. When a single fat al crash involved more than one senior driver, each was included. Resu lts.-State-mandated tests of visual acuity, adjusted for license renew al period, were associated with lower fatal crash risk for senior driv ers (relative risk, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 0.97). Know ledge tests, when added to vision tests and applied only to seniors, p rovided a nonsignificant reduction in the senior fatal crash risk (rel ative risk, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.79 to 1.05). Conclusion.- Tests of vision and knowledge for senior drivers at license renewal me rit further attention as a means of improving senior traffic safety.