title: Sensorimotor and postural control factors associated with driving safety in a community-dwelling older driver population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To establish whether sensorimotor function and balance are associated with on-road driving performance in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The performance of 270 community-living adults aged 70-88 years recruited via the electoral roll was measured on a battery of peripheral sensation, strength, flexibility, reaction time, and balance tests and on a standardized measure of on-road driving performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven participants (17.4%) were classified as unsafe based on their driving assessment. Unsafe driving was associated with reduced peripheral sensation, lower limb weakness, reduced neck range of motion, slow reaction time, and poor balance in univariate analyses. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified poor vibration sensitivity, reduced quadriceps strength, and increased sway on a foam surface with eyes closed as significant and independent risk factors for unsafe driving. These variables classified participants into safe and unsafe drivers with a sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 70%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A number of sensorimotor and balance measures were associated with driver safety and the multivariate model comprising measures of sensation, strength, and balance was highly predictive of unsafe driving in this sample. These findings highlight important determinants of driver safety and may assist in developing efficacious driver safety strategies for older drivers.
authors.affiliation: School of Optometry and Vision Science, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia. philippe.lacherez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lacherez
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Kaarin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Anstey
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lord
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Balance; Driving issues; Functional performance; Physical function.