Elderly drivers have higher motor vehicle crash (MVC) and death rates per mile driven, with an exponential increase above age 75. Identifying elderly drivers at risk for MVCs may help direct interventions to reduce their high rates of injury and fatality. In this research, MVC data for 1,416 elderly women (aged 65-84 yrs) was obtained from the Oregon Department of Transportation for the years 1986-95. Items from questionnaires, interviews, and physical examinations were tested prospectively for associations with the occurrence of MVCs. About 1/3 of the subjects tested had an MVC during a mean follow-up time of 5.7 yrs. After adjustment for age and weekly miles driven, risk factors significantly associated with MVCs were a fall in the previous year, a greater orthostatic systolic blood pressure drop, and increased foot reaction time. Other neuromuscular tests, functional status, medical diagnoses, vision tests, and cognitive tests did not predict motor vehicle crashes in this study population.
Abstract