Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Jun:61:205-210.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2017.01.002. Epub 2017 Jan 17.

How do older adult drivers self-regulate? Characteristics of self-regulation classes defined by latent class analysis

Gwen Bergen  1 , Bethany A West  2 , Feijun Luo  2 , Donna C Bird  3 , Katherine Freund  4 , Richard H Fortinsky  5 , Loren Staplin  6
Affiliations

How do older adult drivers self-regulate? Characteristics of self-regulation classes defined by latent class analysis

Gwen Bergen et al. J Safety Res. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

Problem: Motor-vehicle crashes were the second leading cause of injury death for adults aged 65-84years in 2014. Some older drivers choose to self-regulate their driving to maintain mobility while reducing driving risk, yet the process remains poorly understood.

Methods: Data from 729 older adults (aged ≥60years) who joined an older adult ride service program between April 1, 2010 and November 8, 2013 were analyzed to define and describe classes of driving self-regulation. Latent class analysis was employed to characterize older adult driving self-regulation classes using driving frequency and avoidance of seven driving situations. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between characteristics affecting mobility and self-regulation class.

Results: Three classes were identified (low, medium, and high self-regulation). High self-regulating participants reported the highest proportion of always avoiding seven risky driving situations and the lowest driving frequency followed by medium and low self-regulators. Those who were female, aged 80years or older, visually impaired, assistive device users, and those with special health needs were more likely to be high self-regulating compared with low self-regulating.

Conclusions and practical applications: Avoidance of certain driving situations and weekly driving frequency are valid indicators for describing driving self-regulation classes in older adults. Understanding the unique characteristics and mobility limitations of each class can guide optimal transportation strategies for older adults.

Keywords: Mobility; Motor vehicle; Older adult; Older driver; Self-regulation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Classes of older adult drivers identified by latent class analysis based on driving frequency and avoidance of driving situations.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Avoiding driving situations by self-regulation class.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ackerman ML, Crowe M, Vance DE, Wadley VG, Owsley C, & Ball KK (2011). The impact of feedback on self-rated driving ability and driving self-regulation among older adults. The Gerontologist, 51(3), 367–378. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Adler G, & Rottunda S (2006). Older adults' perspectives on driving cessation. Journal of Aging Studies, 20, 227–235.
    1. Bird DC, Freund K, Fortinsky RH, Staplin L, West BA, Bergen G, & Downs J (2016). Driving self-regulation and ride service utilization in a multi-community, multi-state sample of U.S. older adults. Traffic Injury Prevention (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/) 10.1080/15389588.2016.1198008. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Braitman KA, & Williams AF (2011). Changes in self-regulatory driving among older drivers over time. Traffic Injury Prevention, 12, 568–575. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016). WISQARS (web-based injury statistics query and reporting system). Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; (Available at https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars).

LinkOut - more resources