Factors related to driving difficulty and habits in older drivers

Objectives: To evaluate the association between chronic medical conditions, functional, cognitive, and visual impairments and driving difficulty and h abits among older drivers. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting. Mobile C ounty, Alabama. Participants: A total of 901 residents of Mobile County, Al abama aged 65 or older who possessed a driver's license in 1996. Measuremen ts: Information on demographic characteristics, functional limitations, chr onic medical conditions, driving habits, and visual and cognitive function were collected via telephone. The three dependent variables in this study w ere difficulty with driving, defined as any reported difficulty in greater than or equal to 3 driving situations (e.g. at night), low annual estimated mileage, defined as driving less than 3000 miles in 1996, and low number o f days (less than or equal to 3) driven per week. Results: A history of fal ls, kidney disease or stroke was associated with difficulty driving. Older drivers with a history of kidney disease were more likely to report a low a nnual mileage than subjects without kidney disease. Low annual mileage was also associated with cognitive impairment. In general, older drivers with a functional impairment were more likely to drive less than 4 days per week. Older drivers with a history of cataracts or high blood pressure were more likely to report a low number of days driven per week, while subjects with visual impairment were at increased risk of experiencing difficulty drivin g as well as low number of days driven per week. Conclusions. The results u nderscore the need to further understand the factors negatively affecting d riving independence and mobility in older drivers, as well as the importanc e of improved communication between older adults and health care profession als regarding driving. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.