Comparison of driving performance of young and old drivers (with and without visual impairment) measured during in-traffic conditions.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether visual impairment and age affected driver performance and safety rated during in-traffic driving conditions.


METHODS
Participants included 30 younger, 25 middle-aged, and 35 older subjects with normal vision and 47 older subjects with visual impairment. All subjects were legally eligible to drive. Driving performance was assessed during in-traffic conditions by a professional driving instructor and an occupational therapist using specific scoring criteria.


RESULTS
Group allocation significantly affected driving performance as assessed by the driving instructor and occupational therapist (p < 0.05). The driving instructor and occupational therapist scores were highly correlated (r = 0.76). Of the drivers who were scored as being unsafe, all were older and the majority (75%) had visual impairment.


CONCLUSIONS
Older drivers with or without visual impairment were rated as being less safe than the younger and middle-aged drivers with normal vision.
Wood
J M
JM
Centre for Eye Research, School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. j.wood@qut.edu.au
Mallon
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001334:Automobile Driving; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012449:Safety; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology