The objective of this retrospective, matched, case-control study was to determine whether a Traffic Sign Recognition Test (TSRT) can identify older drivers who recently had a motor vehicle crash (MVC). 60 crash and 60 control subjects (licensed drivers in Galveston, Texas) matched for age and gender. Cases were identified from accident records. Controls were selected from a randomised list of licensed drivers in Galveston. Measurements were Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the TSRT. A TSRT significantly distinguished between case and control groups (P = .01). The MMSE did not (P = .61). A TSRT predicted MVC in a multivariate analysis controlling for education, MMSE score, race/ethnicity, and mileage driven/year (odds ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval = 0.77–1.00). It is concluded that a TSRT successfully identifies older drivers with a recent MVC, but the test lacks sensitivity and specificity. A prospective study is needed to further delineate the TSRT's usefulness in predicting crash risk in older drivers. (A)
Samenvatting