Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T14:02:54.481Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ageing driver licensing requirements and traffic safety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2011

RICHARD TAY*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law and Management, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
*
Address for correspondence: Richard Tay, Chair in Road Safety Management, Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Law and Management, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

As the population in most developed countries continues to age, there is an increasing concern about its effect on traffic safety, resulting in calls to tighten the licensing renewal policies for mature drivers. This study examines the licensing requirements in five Canadian provinces and their respective vehicle collision rates for ageing drivers. Contrary to expectation, we find a positive correlation between the stringency of the licensing system and the mean crash rates. Therefore, increasing the mandatory testing and licensing requirements is not recommended at this time.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdel-Aty, M., Chen, C. and Radwan, E. 1999. Using conditional probability to find driver age effect in crashes. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 125, 6, 502–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Aty, M. and Radwan, E. 2000. Modeling traffic accident occurrence and involvement. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32, 5, 633–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anstey, K., Wood, J., Lord, S. and Walker, J. 2005. Cognitive, sensory and physical factors enabling driving safety in older adults. Clinical Psychology Review, 25, 4565.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bedard, M., Isherwood, I., Moore, E., Gibbons, C. and Lindstrom, W. 2004. Evaluation of a re-training program for older drivers. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 95, 4, 295–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bedard, M., Porter, M., Marshall, S., Isherwood, I., Riendeau, J., Weaver, B., Tuokko, H., Molnar, H. and Miller-Polgar, J. 2008. The combination of two training approaches to improve older adults' driving safety. Traffic Injury Prevention, 9, 1, 70–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dee, T., Grabowski, D. and Morrisey, M. 2005. Graduate driver licensing and teen traffic fatalities. Journal of Health Economics, 24, 3, 571–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
di Stefano, M. and Macdonald, W. 2003. Assessment of older drivers: relationship among on-road errors, medical conditions and test outcome. Journal of Safety Research, 34, 415–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dulisse, B. 1997. Older drivers and risk to other road users. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 29, 5, 573–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, L. 2004. Traffic Safety. Science Serving Society, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.Google Scholar
Fildes, B., Lee, S., Kenny, D and Foddy, W. 1994. Survey of Older Road Users: Behavioural and Travel Issues. Report No. 57, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Grabowski, D., Campbell, C. and Morrisey, M. 2004. Elderly licensure laws and motor vehicle fatalities. Journal of the American Medical Association, 291, 23, 2840–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Institute of Transportation Engineers 2003. Trip Generation User's Guide. Seventh edition, Volumes 1 and 2, Institute of Transportation Engineers, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Joksch, H. 1984. The relation between motor vehicle accident deaths and economic activity. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 16, 3, 207–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jovanis, P. and Chang, H. 1986. Modeling the relationship of accident to mile traveled. Transportation Research Record, 1068, 4251.Google Scholar
Kattan, L., Acharjee, S. and Tay, R. 2009. Calgary downtown pedestrian scramble: an evaluation of the pilot study. Transportation Research Record, 2140, 7984.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korner-Bitensky, N., Kua, A., von Zweck, C. and van Benthem, K. 2009. Older driver retraining: an updated systematic review of evidence of effectiveness. Journal of Safety Research, 40, 2, 105–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Langford, J., Bohensky, M., Koppel, S. and Newstead, S. 2008. Do age-based mandatory assessments reduce older drivers' risk. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 40, 6, 1913–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Langford, J., Fitzharris, M., Koppel, S. and Newstead, S. 2004. Some consequences of different older driver licensing procedures in Australia. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 36, 6, 326–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levy, D., Vernick, J. and Howard, K. 1995. Relationship between driver's license renewal policies and fatal crashes involving drivers 70 years or older. Journal of the American Medical Association, 274, 13, 1026–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liddle, J., McKenna, K. and Broome, K. 2004. Older Road Users: From Driving Cessation to Safe Transportation. Report submitted to the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau.Google Scholar
Lyman, S., Ferguson, S., Braver, E. and Williams, A. 2002. Older driver involvements in police reported crashes: trends and projections. Injury Prevention, 8, 116–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marottoli, R., Marottoli, R., Mendes de Leon, C., Glass, T., Williams, C., Cooney, L. and Berkman, L. 2000. Consequences of driving cessation: decreased out of home activity levels. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 55, 334–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marottoli, R., Mendes de Leon, C., Glass, T. and Williams, C. 1997. Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms: prospective evidence from the New Haven EPESE. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 45, 202–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marshall, S., Spasoff, R., Nair, R. and van Walraven, C. 2002. Restricted driver licensing for medical impairments: does it work? Canadian Medical Association Journal, 167, 7, 747–51.Google ScholarPubMed
Mayhew, D., Simpson, H. and Ferguson, S. 2006. Collisions involving senior drivers: high-risk conditions and locations. Traffic Injury Prevention, 7, 2, 117–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCarthy, P. 2005. Alcohol, public policy, and highway crashes: a time-series analysis of older-driver safety. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, 39, 1, 109–25.Google Scholar
McCarthy, P. 2003 a. Effects of alcohol and highway speed policies on motor vehicle crashes involving older drivers. Journal of Transportation and Statistics, 6, 2, 5165.Google Scholar
McCarthy, P. and Talley, W. 1999. Evidence on risk compensation and safety behavior. Economic Letters, 62, 2, 91–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miaou, S. 1994. The relationship between truck accidents and geometric design of road section: Poisson versus negative binomial regression. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 26, 4, 471–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miaou, S. and Lum, H. 1993. Modeling vehicle accidents and highway geometric design relationships. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 25, 6, 689709.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Michener, R. and Tighe, C. 1992. A Poisson regression model of highway fatalities. American Economic Review, 82, 2, 452–6.Google Scholar
Molnar, F., Byszewski, A., Marshall, S. and Hing, M. 2005. In-office evaluation of medical fitness to drive: practical approaches for assessing older people. Canadian Family Physician, 51, 3, 372–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Morrisey, M. and Grabowski, D. 2005. State motor vehicle laws and older drivers. Health Economics, 14, 407–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nasvadi, G. and Vavrik, J. 2007. Crash risk of older drivers after attending a mature driver education program. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 39, 6, 1073–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2003. Model Driver Screening and Evaluation Program. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Newbold, K., Scott, D., Spinney, J. and Kanaroglou, P. 2005. Travel behavior within Canada's older population: a cohort analysis. Journal of Transport Geography, 13, 4, 340–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noland, R. and Quddus, M. 2004. A spatially disaggregate analysis of road casualties in England. Accident Analysis Prevention, 36, 6, 973–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noland, R. and Oh, L. 2004. The effect of infrastructure and demographic change on traffic-related fatalities and crashes: a case study of Illinois county-level data. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 36, 525–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development 2001. Ageing and Transport: Mobility Needs and Safety Issues. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.Google Scholar
Owsley, C., Stalvey, B. and Phillips, J. 2003. The efficacy of an educational intervention in promoting self-regulation among high-risk older drivers. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 35, 393400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oxley, J. and Charlton, J. 2009. Attitudes to and mobility impacts of driving cessation: differences between current and former drivers. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 25, 1, 4354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peltzman, S. 1975. The effects of automobile safety regulation. Journal of Political Economy, 83, 677726.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poch, M. and Mannering, F. 1996. Negative binomial analysis of intersection accident frequencies. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 122, 2, 105–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ragland, D., Satariano, W. and Macleod, K. 2005. Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms. Journals of Gerontology, 60A, 3, 399403.Google Scholar
Raitanen, T., Tormakangas, T., Mollenkopf, H. and Marcellini, F. 2003. Why do older drivers reduce driving? Findings from three European countries. Transportation Research Part F, 6, 8195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rifaat, S., Tay, R. and de Barros, A. 2010. Effect of street pattern on road safety: are policy recommendations sensitive to different aggregations of crashes by severity? Transportation Research Record, 2147, 5865.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rifaat, S., Tay, R., Perez, A. and de Barros, A. 2009. Effects of neighbourhood street patterns on traffic crash frequency. Journal of Transportation Safety and Security, 1, 4, 241–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Road Safety Committee 2003. Inquiry into Road Safety for Older Road Users. Victoria Parliamentary Road Safety Committee, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Rock, S. 1998. Impact from changes in Illinois driver license renewal requirements for older drivers. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 30, 1, 6974.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scialfa, C., Ference, J., Boone, J., Tay, R. and Hudson, C. 2010. Predicting older drivers difficulties using roadwise review. Journals of Gerontology, 65B, 4, 434–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shankar, V., Mannering, F. and Barfield, W. 1995. Effect of roadway geometrics and environmental factors on rural freeway accident frequencies. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 27, 3, 371–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistics Canada 2005. Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories 2005–2031. Statistics Canada, Ottawa.Google Scholar
Tay, R. 2001. Fatal crashes involving young male drivers: a continuous time Poisson change-point analysis. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 25, 1, 21–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tay, R. 2003 a. Marginal effects of changing the vehicle mix on fatal crashes. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, 37, 3, 437–50.Google Scholar
Tay, R. 2003 b. The efficacy of unemployment rate and leading index as predictors of speed and alcohol related crashes in Australia. International Journal of Transport Economics, 30, 3, 363–75.Google Scholar
Tay, R. 2004. The relationship between public education and enforcement campaigns and their effectiveness in reducing speed related serious crashes. International Journal of Transport Economics, 31, 2, 251–5.Google Scholar
Tay, R. 2005 a. Deterrent effects of drink driving enforcement: some evidence from New Zealand. International Journal of Transport Economics, 32, 1, 103–9.Google Scholar
Tay, R. 2005 b. The effectiveness of enforcement and publicity campaigns on serious crashes involving young male drivers: are drink driving and speeding similar? Accident Analysis and Prevention, 37, 5, 922–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tay, R. 2005 c. General and specific deterrent effects of traffic enforcement: do we have to catch offenders to reduce crashes? Journal of Transport Economics and Policy 39, 2, 209–23.Google Scholar
Tay, R. 2005 d. Drink driving enforcement and publicity campaigns: are the policy recommendations sensitive to model specifications? Accident Analysis and Prevention, 37, 2, 259–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tay, R. 2006. Ageing driver: storm in a teacup? Accident Analysis and Prevention, 38, 1, 112–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tay, R. 2008. Marginal effects of increasing ageing driver on injury crashes. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 40, 2065–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tay, R. 2009. The effectiveness of automated and manned traffic enforcement. International Journal of Sustainable Transport, 3, 3, 178–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tay, R. 2010. Speed cameras: improving safety or raising revenue? Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, 44, 2, 247–57.Google Scholar
Transportation Research Board 1994. Transportation Research Circular No. 429: The Licensing of Older Drivers. Transportation Research Board, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Weaver, B., Bédard, M., McAuliffe, J. and Parkkari, M. 2009. Using the Attention Network Test to predict driving test scores. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 41, 1, 7683.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilde, G. 1994. Target Risk. PDE Publications, Toronto.Google Scholar