News and analysis: Pulse: Driving: How old is too old? [CMAJ

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Pulse
Driving: How old is too old?

CMAJ 2000;163(10):1334 [News & analysis in PDF]

The CMA's new guide for physicians, Determining Medical Fitness to Drive, recognizes that while the rate of decline in physical and mental function varies from person to person as they age, these changes eventually affect everyone's ability to drive. The guide states that "slowed reaction time, lack of attentiveness, poor judgement and faulty attitudes are responsible for many crashes at all ages. These factors assume an increasing importance with advancing years."

Transport Canada statistics (www.tc.gc.ca/securiteroutiere/stats/ stats98/en/st98agee.htm) show that Canadians over the age of 65 have a much higher annual fatality rate per 100 000 population (14.5) than those in their middle years (35–64), whose rate is rate is 8.2 deaths per 100 000. Young Canadians (15–34) come close to matching the fatality rate of seniors (14.1 per 100 000). The rate of injury, however, declines with age (see Fig. 1).

A May 16, 2000, Gallup poll revealed that Canadians appear to favour mandatory testing of elderly drivers. Eighty-five percent of respondents agreed that elderly drivers should be tested; people aged 30 to 39 years were most likely to agree (92%) compared with 68% of those 65 years of age or older. Over a third (36%) thought mandatory testing should begin at age 65, but only 3% thought testing should only be mandatory for those over 80. Respondents from Atlantic Canada were the least likely to agree to mandatory testing (76%) but had the highest proportion of respondents (44%) who felt testing should begin at 65. — Lynda Buske, buskel@cma.ca