Increased traffic injuries among older unprotected road users following the introduction of an age-based cognitive test to the driver's license renewal procedure in Japan.
Accidents, Traffic
/ mortality
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Automobile Driving
/ legislation & jurisprudence
Cognition
/ physiology
Female
Humans
Interrupted Time Series Analysis
Japan
/ epidemiology
Licensure
/ legislation & jurisprudence
Male
Mental Status and Dementia Tests
Wounds and Injuries
/ epidemiology
Interrupted time series
Japan
Older adults
Traffic policy
Vulnerable road users
Journal
Accident; analysis and prevention
ISSN: 1879-2057
Titre abrégé: Accid Anal Prev
Pays: England
ID NLM: 1254476
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Mar 2020
Mar 2020
Historique:
received:
20
09
2019
revised:
13
01
2020
accepted:
15
01
2020
pubmed:
22
1
2020
medline:
14
4
2020
entrez:
22
1
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
To deal with the increasing number of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) among older drivers, a cognitive test has been introduced to a license renewal procedure for drivers aged ≥75 years since June 2009. This might have prompted the reduction or cessation of driving by older drivers. We therefore examined whether older drivers' chance of experiencing MVCs as unprotected road users has increased after the test was introduced. Using police-reported national data on MVCs from January 2005 through December 2016, we calculated the monthly injury rates (including deaths, severe injuries, and minor injuries) among unprotected road users (bicyclists and pedestrians) by sex and age group (70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and ≥85 years). The ratios of the injury rates of unprotected road users in the three oldest age groups (who were subjected to the test) to those aged 70-74 years (not subjected to the test) were also calculated. Then, we conducted an interrupted time-series analysis based on the injury rate ratios to control for extraneous factors affecting MVCs over the study period. There was a significant increase in traffic injuries of unprotected road users at the time the test was introduced among females aged 75-84 years, and at a later time among males aged ≥80 years and females aged ≥85 years. Licensing policies for older drivers should be rigorously evaluated, taking into account the safety of older unprotected road users, and should be balanced against it.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
To deal with the increasing number of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) among older drivers, a cognitive test has been introduced to a license renewal procedure for drivers aged ≥75 years since June 2009. This might have prompted the reduction or cessation of driving by older drivers. We therefore examined whether older drivers' chance of experiencing MVCs as unprotected road users has increased after the test was introduced.
METHODS
METHODS
Using police-reported national data on MVCs from January 2005 through December 2016, we calculated the monthly injury rates (including deaths, severe injuries, and minor injuries) among unprotected road users (bicyclists and pedestrians) by sex and age group (70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and ≥85 years). The ratios of the injury rates of unprotected road users in the three oldest age groups (who were subjected to the test) to those aged 70-74 years (not subjected to the test) were also calculated. Then, we conducted an interrupted time-series analysis based on the injury rate ratios to control for extraneous factors affecting MVCs over the study period.
RESULTS
RESULTS
There was a significant increase in traffic injuries of unprotected road users at the time the test was introduced among females aged 75-84 years, and at a later time among males aged ≥80 years and females aged ≥85 years.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Licensing policies for older drivers should be rigorously evaluated, taking into account the safety of older unprotected road users, and should be balanced against it.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31962239
pii: S0001-4575(19)31390-9
doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2020.105440
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
105440Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.