A traffic sign recognition test can discriminate between older drivers who have and have not had a motor vehicle crash

Jan M. MacGregor, Daniel H. Freeman, Dong Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a Traffic Sign Recognition Test (TSRT) can identify older drivers who recently had a motor vehicle crash (MVC). DESIGN: Retrospective, matched, case-control study. SETTING: Licensed drivers in Galveston, Texas. PARTICIPANTS: 60 crash and 60 control subjects matched for age and gender. Cases were identified from accident records. Controls were selected from a randomized list of licensed drivers in Galveston. MEASUREMENTS: Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the TSRT. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: 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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)466-469
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of the American Geriatrics Society
Volume49
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Motor vehicle
  • Older driver
  • Traffic sign
  • Vehicle crash

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geriatrics and Gerontology

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