On-road driving evaluations: a potential tool for helping older adults drive safely longer.
OBJECTIVE
This paper explores the potential use of on-road driving evaluations as a tool for helping older adults extend their safe driving years.


METHODS
Three separate research activities were carried out. The first was a national telephone survey of current and former older drivers. The results of this survey provide information relevant to the potential market for on-road driving evaluations. The second was a series of focus groups with potential stakeholders in the process: driver educators, occupational therapists, and physicians. These groups explored the feasibility and requirements of offering on-road driving evaluations to the wider public. Supplemental data were also collected from a mail survey of driving schools nationwide.


RESULTS
Based on the results of these efforts, a number of recommendations are presented for expanding the availability of on-road driving evaluations, specifically to help older adults make more responsible decisions about continuing or stopping driving, and more generally to help them drive safely longer.
Stutts
Jane C
JC
Highway Safety Research Center, University of North Carolina, 730 Airport Road, Campus Box 3430 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430, USA. jane_stutts@unc.edu
Wilkins
Jean W
JW
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012449:Safety; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States