Do Restricted Driver's Licenses Lower Crash Risk Among Older Drivers? A Survival Analysis of Insurance Data from British Columbia

This study was undertaken to determine whether restricted licenses or "graduated delicensing" are successful at mitigating number of crashes per year and whether these strategies can extend the period of crash-free driving for aging adults. Driving restrictions were chosen that are likely to be associated with the effects of aging: restricted speed, restricted geographical radius, and restricted time of day (e.g., daylight hours only and no rush hour travel). The authors used a cohort study design and examined licensing and insurance claims crash records of all drivers aged 66 years and older in British Columbia for the years 1999–2006. Nonparametric and Cox proportional hazards survival analyses were used to compare restricted vs. unrestricted drivers and to estimate crash risks. They found that the risk of causing a crash was 87% lower for restricted drivers compared with unrestricted drivers after controlling for age and gender. The most common restriction was a combination of daylight driving only plus a speed maximum of 80 km/hr. In addition, restricted drivers retained a driver's license for a longer period of time than unrestricted drivers and continued to drive crash free longer than unrestricted drivers. There was no difference in severity of collisions, and results suggest a high level of compliance with daylight-only restrictions. The authors conclude that driving restrictions may prolong the crash-free driving of some aging drivers, thus supporting their continued independence and delaying institutionalization.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00169013
• Authors:
  • Wister, Andrew
  • Nasvadi, Glenyth C
• Publication Date: 2009-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 474-484
• Serial:
  • Gerontologist
  • Volume: 49
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Gerontological Society of America
  • ISSN: 0016-9013
  • EISSN: 1758-5341
  • Serial URL: http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged drivers; Aging (Biology); Automobile driving; Crash data; Driver licensing; Gender; Graduated licensing; Mobility; Periods of the day; Quality of life; Speed limits
• Uncontrolled Terms: Geographic boundaries; Restricted driver licenses
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01341093
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 26 2011 1:08PM