Driving Errors Predicting Pass/Fail On-Road Assessment Outcomes Among Cognitively Impaired Older Drivers

Abstract

Older drivers with cognitive impairment (CI)/dementia make significantly more driving errors than healthy controls; however, whether driving errors are predictive of pass/fail outcomes in older drivers with CI/dementia are unclear. This study determined the driving errors that predicted failing an on-road assessment in drivers with CI. We retrospectively collected comprehensive driving evaluation data of 80 participants (76.1 ± 9.3 years) from an Ontario driving assessment center. Adjustment to stimuli (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.88), lane maintenance (AUC = 0.84), and speed regulation errors (AUC = 0.85) strongly predicted pass/fail outcomes. Worse performance on the Trails B (time) and Useful Field of View® (Subtest 2, Subtest 3, and risk index) were significantly correlated with adjustment to stimuli ( p < .05), lane maintenance ( p < .05), and speed regulation errors ( p < .05). Adjustment to stimuli, lane maintenance, and speed regulation errors may be critical indicators of failing an on-road assessment in older drivers with CI. Prioritizing these errors may help identify at-risk drivers.