IngentaConnect Impaired vision and other factors associated with driving cessati...

Authors: Gilhotra, Jagjit Singh¹; Mitchell, Paul¹; Ivers, Rebecca²; Cumming, Robert G³

Source: Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, Volume 29, Number 3, June 2001 , pp. 104-107(4)

Abstract:

The aim of present study was to review vision and other factors associated with the cessation of driving. As part of the Blue Mountains Eye Study, detailed demographic information, driving status and medical history were taken. Visual acuity was measured during a standardized refraction and visual fields documented. Potential risk factors were decided a priori. Among the 3654 Eye Study participants, 2831 (77.5%) had driven a motor vehicle in the past, of whom 2379 (84.0%) were current drivers and 452 (16.0%, 95% CI 14.6-17.4%) said they had stopped driving. Older persons and women were more likely to have stopped driving. After adjusting for age and sex, sensory impairment affecting vision and hearing, plus chronic medical conditions and benzodiazepine use were significantly associated with cessation of driving. The study found that sensory impairment, particularly visual parameters, was associated with the decision to stop driving by older subjects.

Keywords: Blue Mountains Eye Study; driving; elderly; epidemiology; vision

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1046/j.1442-9071.2001.00411.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Ophthalmology and the Save Sight and Millennium Institutes, The University of Sydney (Westmead Hospital) and 2: Institute for International Health and 3: Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

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Impaired vision and other factors associated with driving cessation in the elderly: the Blue Mountains Eye Study