Older patients self-regulate driving abilities, study finds

Older adults with early changes in spatial vision function and depth perception recognize their limitations and tend to restrict their driving, even if they do not acknowledge visual loss as the cause of the restriction, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study included 629 current drivers aged 55 years or older who had had their driving behavior, health and physical function assessed and vision function tested from 1993 to 1995.

Demographic, health and functional characteristics differed significantly between those who restricted their driving and those who did not.

A synopsis of the journal study is published in the December issue of Clinical Geriatrics.