Medical conditions associated with driving cessation in community-dwelling, ambulatory elders

• Published in: Journal of gerontology (Kirkwood) 1993-07, Vol.48 (4), p.S230-S234
• Main Authors: Campbell, M K, Bush, T L, Hale, W E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Automobile Driving; Female; Health Status; Humans; Male; Sex Factors
• ISSN: 0022-1422; 2331-3323
• DOI: 10.1093/geronj/48.4.S230

The decision to stop driving leads to severe contraction of independence, and most localities do not curtail driving privileges in impaired elders. In a population of community-based, ambulatory individuals 70-96 years old, annual medical screening showed that 276 of 1,656 (16.7 +/- 1.8%) who reported driving regularly in the past do not currently drive. The cessation of driving behavior was examined in terms of specific medical conditions occurring within the past 5 years. Retired drivers were disproportionately female, and driving cessation risk rose with age. Age-sex-adjusted logistic regression found that six conditions explained about 50 percent of the decisions to stop driving: macular degeneration; retinal hemorrhage; any deficit in Activities of Daily Living; Parkinson's disease; stroke-related residual paralysis or weakness; and syncope. Strikingly, only 1.8 percent of those who stopped driving had ever had a license revoked; 58.7 percent reported voluntarily stopping; 31.9 percent gave health or medical reasons. Clearly, the decision to cede driving privileges is complex and not dependent solely on medical problems.