Self-reported vs state-recorded motor vehicle collisions among older community dwelling individuals

Associations between vision impairment and vision-related interventions on crash risk and driving cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To systematically investigate the associations between vision impairment and risk of motor vehicle crash (MVC) involvement, and evaluate vision-related interventions to reduce MVCs.

DESIGN

Medline (Ovid), EMBASE and Global Health electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to March 2022 for observational and interventional English-language studies. Screening, data extraction and appraisals using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools were completed by two reviewers independently. Where appropriate, measures of association were converted into risk ratios (RRs) or ORs for meta-analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

Drivers of four-wheeled vehicles of all ages with no cognitive declines.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES

MVC involvement (primary) and driving cessation (secondary).

RESULTS

101 studies (n=778 052) were included after full-text review. 57 studies only involved older drivers (≥65 years) and 85 were in high-income settings. Heterogeneity in the data meant that most meta-analyses were underpowered as only 25 studies, further split into different groups of eye diseases and measures of vision, could be meta-analysed. The limited evidence from the meta-analyses suggests that visual field defects (four studies; RR 1.51 (95% CI 1.23, 1.85); p<0.001; I2=46.79%), and contrast sensitivity (two studies; RR 1.40 (95% CI 1.08, 1.80); p=0.01, I2=0.11%) and visual acuity loss (five studies; RR 1.21 (95% CI 1.02, 1.43); p=0.03, I2=28.49%) may increase crash risk. The results are more inconclusive for available evidence for associations of glaucoma (five studies, RR 1.27 (95% CI 0.67, 2.42); p=0.47; I2=93.48%) and cataract (two studies RR 1.15 (95% CI 0.97, 1.36); p=0.11; I2=3.96%) with crashes. Driving cessation may also be linked with glaucoma (two studies; RR 1.62 (95% CI 1.20, 2.19); p<0.001, I2=22.45%), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (three studies; RR 2.21 (95% CI 1.47, 3.31); p<0.001, I2=75.11%) and reduced contrast sensitivity (three studies; RR 1.30 (95% CI 1.05, 1.61); p=0.02; I2=63.19%). Cataract surgery halved MVC risk (three studies; RR 0.55 (95% CI 0.34, 0.92); p=0.02; I2=97.10). Ranibizumab injections (four randomised controlled trials) prolonged driving in persons with AMD.

CONCLUSION

Impaired vision identified through a variety of measures is associated with both increased MVC involvement and cessation. Cataract surgery can reduce MVC risk. Despite literature being highly heterogeneous, this review shows that detection of vision problems and appropriate treatment are critical to road safety.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020172153.

Association of Physical Function With Driving Space and Crashes Among Older Adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Balancing both driver mobility and safety is important for the well-being of older adults. However, research on the association of physical function with these 2 driving outcomes has yielded inconsistent findings. This study examined whether physical functioning of older drivers, as measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), is associated with either driving space or crash involvement.

METHODS

Using cross-sectional data of active drivers aged 65-79 years from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study (n = 2,990), we used multivariate log-binomial and logistic regressions to estimate the associations of the SPPB with either self-reported restricted driving space in the prior 3 months or any crashes in the past year. Interaction with gender was assessed using likelihood ratio tests.

RESULTS

After adjustment, older drivers with higher SPPB scores (higher physical functioning) had lower prevalence of restricted driving space (8-10 vs. 0-7, prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-0.99; 11-12 vs. 0-7, PR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.61-0.99). Fair (8-10), but not good (11-12), scores were significantly associated with reduced crash involvement (8-10 vs. 0-7, odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.60-0.84). Gender was not a significant effect modifier.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

This study provides evidence that higher physical functioning is associated with better driving mobility and safety and that the SPPB may be useful for identifying at-risk drivers. Further research is needed to understand physical functioning's longitudinal effects and the SPPB's role in older driver intervention programs.

Interhemispheric sleep depth coherence predicts driving safety in sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased risk of car crashes; however, conventional measures of sleep apnea severity do not clearly identify those individuals who are at greatest risk. Here we tested whether, among individuals with sleep apnea, those with reduced interhemispheric sleep depth coherence, measured by correlation between right and left hemisphere odds ratio product, are at greater risk. The sample was derived from the Sleep Heart Health Study, a prospective observational cohort study, and included 1,378 adults with sleep apnea. The occurrence of a car crash was ascertained by a questionnaire administered 2 years after the sleep study, which asked about the occurrence of crashes during the year prior to questionnaire administration. We computed the sleep depth coherence from electroencephalograms recorded during baseline sleep studies and after 5 years. The weighted kappa coefficient and Bangdiwala's B were 0.34 and 0.59, respectively, indicating a fair to moderate stability over a 5-year interval. Multivariate logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, race, body mass index and miles driven per year, was used to assess the risk of a car crash. Compared to the lowest quartile of sleep depth coherence (<0.86), individuals in the highest quartile (>0.93) had a 62% (95% confidence interval, 22%-81%) lower risk of an accident. Further adjustments for usual sleep duration and sleepiness did not meaningfully alter these findings. Higher interhemispheric sleep depth coherence is associated with significantly lower risk of motor vehicle crashes in individuals with sleep apnea. This suggests that high interhemispheric sleep depth coherence may be a marker of resistance to sleep apnea-related adverse neurocognitive outcomes.

An examination of the concordance between self-reported collisions, driver records, and insurance claims in older drivers

Background Previous studies of older drivers have found that there are discrepancies between their retrospective self-reports of collisions and the official jurisdictional record. Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine how older drivers self-report collisions in comparison to what was recorded in their official driver abstract as well as insurance claims, in a prospective study. Methods Participants (n = 125, age ≥ 70 years) in this study were part of the University of Manitoba site of the Candrive longitudinal study of older drivers. During the operation of the Manitoba site (2009 to 2013), participants were periodically asked to report on any collisions (at-fault or not) in which they were involved, while they were enrolled in the study. In addition, driver records (abstracts and insurance claims) from the provincial licensing agency and public insurer (Manitoba Pubic Insurance; MPI) were provided annually. Results In total there were 101 separate instances of collisions (regardless of at-fault status), whether self-reported, or recorded by MPI. There were 20 at-fault collisions that were recorded on the driver abstract. Eighteen of these collisions were self-reported by participants. In total, our participants were involved in 70 insurance claims (42 at-fault) - 61 of these were self-reported to study staff. In addition, there were 31 collisions that were self-reported to study staff, that were not reported to MPI. Conclusions In this prospective study, older drivers were diligent in reporting collisions in which they were involved. While some collisions were not reported that ultimately became a claim or part of their driver abstract, the biggest discrepancy was in the collisions that were reported to study staff but that were not reported to authorities.

Driving impairment and crash risk in Parkinson disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To provide the best possible evidence base for guiding driving decisions in Parkinson disease (PD), we performed a meta-analysis comparing patients with PD to healthy controls (HCs) on naturalistic, on-the-road, and simulator driving outcomes.

METHODS

Seven major databases were systematically searched (to January 2018) for studies comparing patients with PD to HCs on overall driving performance, with data analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Fifty studies comprising 5,410 participants (PD = 1,955, HC = 3,455) met eligibility criteria. Analysis found the odds of on-the-road test failure were 6.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.79-10.03) times higher and the odds of simulator crashes 2.63 (95% CI 1.64-4.22) times higher for people with PD, with poorer overall driving ratings also observed (standardized mean differences from 0.50 to 0.67). However, self-reported real-life crash involvement did not differ between people with PD and HCs (odds ratio = 0.84, 95% CI 0.57-1.23, p = 0.38). Findings remained unchanged after accounting for any differences in age, sex, and driving exposure, and no moderating influence of disease severity was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide persuasive evidence for substantive driving impairment in PD, but offer little support for mandated PD-specific relicensure based on self-reported crash data alone, and highlight the need for objective measures of crash involvement.

Errors versus speed on the trail making test: Relevance to driving performance

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Many studies have demonstrated that speed to complete items on the Trail Making Tests (TMT A and TMT B) is useful in the prediction of driving safety. However, there is no consensus regarding optimal "cut scores" to discriminate between safe and unsafe drivers. In this study, we examine TMT speed and errors in drivers referred for a road test.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis.

SETTING

Patients referred for a DriveWise® evaluation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

PARTICIPANTS

Drivers age 65 or older were included (total n = 373). Forty-five percent of the sample had been diagnosed with Cognitive Impairment (CI) whereas the remaining participants were in the No Cognitive Impairment (NCI) group.

MEASUREMENTS

TMT Parts A & B, Folstein Mini Mental Status Examination, Washington University Road Test.

RESULTS

CI drivers with TMT A speed exceeding 46 s were more likely to fail the road test whereas TMT B speed was not a sensitive metric in this group. In the No Cognitive Impairment (NCI) group, TMT B speed exceeding 131 s predicted driving impairment whereas TMT A speed was not sensitive. Error scores were not useful in the determination of driving fitness for either group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides useful criteria for health providers working with older people in the determination of driving fitness. Results suggest that TMT speed, but not error rate, is associated with road test performance. Based on our work, we advocate that pre-existing dementia should be taken into consideration when using TMT performance as a screen for driving.

Sleep deficiency and motor vehicle crash risk in the general population: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Insufficient sleep duration and obstructive sleep apnea, two common causes of sleep deficiency in adults, can result in excessive sleepiness, a well-recognized cause of motor vehicle crashes, although their contribution to crash risk in the general population remains uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation of sleep apnea, sleep duration, and excessive sleepiness to crash risk in a community-dwelling population.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational cohort study nested within the Sleep Heart Health Study, a community-based study of the health consequences of sleep apnea. The participants were 1745 men and 1456 women aged 40-89 years. Sleep apnea was measured by home polysomnography and questionnaires were used to assess usual sleep duration and daytime sleepiness. A follow-up questionnaire 2 years after baseline ascertained driving habits and motor vehicle crash history. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relation of sleep apnea and sleep duration at baseline to the occurrence of motor vehicle crashes during the year preceding the follow-up visit, adjusting for relevant covariates. The population-attributable fraction of motor vehicle crashes was estimated from the sample proportion of motor vehicle crashes and the adjusted odds ratios for motor vehicle crash within each exposure category.

RESULTS

Among 3201 evaluable participants, 222 (6.9%) reported at least one motor vehicle crash during the prior year. A higher apnea-hypopnea index (p < 0.01), fewer hours of sleep (p = 0.04), and self-reported excessive sleepiness (p < 0.01) were each significantly associated with crash risk. Severe sleep apnea was associated with a 123% increased crash risk, compared to no sleep apnea. Sleeping 6 hours per night was associated with a 33% increased crash risk, compared to sleeping 7 or 8 hours per night. These associations were present even in those who did not report excessive sleepiness. The population-attributable fraction of motor vehicle crashes was 10% due to sleep apnea and 9% due to sleep duration less than 7 hours.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep deficiency due to either sleep apnea or insufficient sleep duration is strongly associated with motor vehicle crashes in the general population, independent of self-reported excessive sleepiness.