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The Gerontologist Advance Access published online on September 2, 2009
The Gerontologist, doi:10.1093/geront/gnp127
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Ten Years Down the Road: Predictors of Driving Cessation

Jerri D. Edwards, PhD1,2, Edward Bart, MPA3, Melissa L. O'Connor, MS2 and Gayla Cissell, MA4

2 School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
3 Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
4 Edward R. Roybal Center for Translational Research on Aging & Mobility, Department of Psychology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green

1 Address correspondence to Jerri D. Edwards, PhD, School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, MHC 1300, Tampa, FL 33620. E-mail: jedwards1{at}bcs.usf.edu


  Abstract

Purpose: Recent prospective studies have found that cognition is a more salient predictor of driving cessation than physical performance or demographic factors among community-dwelling older adults. However, these studies have been limited to 5 years of follow-up. The current study used data from the Maryland Older Drivers Project to examine predictors of driving cessation in older adults over a 10-year period. Design and Methods: Participants (N = 1,248) completed baseline and 5-year assessments of physical and cognitive abilities. Driving status was ascertained at baseline and annually thereafter. Results: Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the risk of driving cessation as a function of demographic, physical, and cognitive predictors. The final model indicated three significant predictors of driving cessation, older age at baseline (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.12, p < .001), days driven per week (HR = 0.83, p = .05), and slower speed of processing as measured by the Useful Field of View Test (HR = 1.76, p < .01). Implications: These results underscore the importance of cognitive speed of processing to the maintenance of driving. Brief cognitive assessment can be conducted in the field to potentially identify older adults at increased risk for driving cessation. Further research is needed to determine the costs and potential benefits of such screening.

Keywords: Driving outcomes, Older drivers, Longitudinal

Received April 7, 2009; Accepted August 10, 2009

Decision Editor: William J. McAuley, PhD


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