Automobile Driving Fitness Assessment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25759/spmfr.199Keywords:
Automobile Driving, Computer Simulation, Disability Evaluation, Licensure, PortugalAbstract
Introduction: The automobile driving ability should be properly evaluated. The fitness to drive assessment is a medical competence involving medical, legislation and technology expertise. This should include a careful objective exam and performance tasks, which can be conveniently followed-up with a test in a driving simulator. In Portugal there is only a driving simulator for these effects. This study aims to characterize and promote the work done in the Mobility Centre of a Rehabilitation Medicine Centre in the context of assessing fitness to drive in individuals with disabilities.
Material and Methods: There was carried out the characterization of the individuals evaluated in the current simulator (June 1, 2007 to December 31, 2013), particularly with regard to demographic characteristics, primary diagnosis, disability(ies) and evaluation result. Changes proposed after the fitness to drive assessment were studied too.
Results: There were 1.145 evaluations, referring to 1.061 different individuals. The average age of the patients was 45 ± 16 years, 73% were males and 83% had a driving license. The most frequent primary diagnosis and motor disability were, respectively, spinal cord injury (32%) and hemiplegia/hemiparesis (32%). The patients were fit without adaptations (18%) or with adaptations (54%), or unfit (10%). The fitness was considered conditional in 17% of cases, suggesting further assessments. From the 749 individuals considered fit (conditional or not) for driving an adapted car, 30% and 18% needed 3 and 2 distinct adaptations, respectively. 1.947 adjustments were suggested in total, among which the most frequent was the automatic gearbox (34%).
Conclusions: Any doctor can request a fitness to drive assessment by a multidisciplinary team (physiatrist and occupational therapist) with the particularity of conducting a test on a driving simulator. Driving is a complex task that requires attention and the proper use of physical, sensory and cognitive abilities. The fitness to drive assessment is essential whenever there are doubts about the individual’s competence, being the inclusion of a driving simulator test an important asset.
Downloads
References
Portugal. Regulamento da Habilitação Legal para Conduzir. Decreto-Lei n.º 138/2012 de 5 de julho. Diário da República, 1.ª série - N.º 129. 2012:3426-75. [consultado jan 2015] Disponível em:http://dre.pt/pdf1s/2012/07/12900/0342603475.pdf
Korner-Bitensky N, Sofer S. The DriveABLE Competence Screen as a predictor of on-road driving in a clinical sample. Aust Occup Ther J. 2009;56:200-5.
Whelihan WM, DiCarlo MA, Paul RH. The relationship of neuropsychological functioning to driving competence in older
persons with early cognitive decline. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2005;20:217-28.
Ott BR, Anthony D, Papandonatos GD, D’Abreu A, Burock J, Curtin A, et al. Clinician assessment of the driving competence of patients with dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005;53:829-33.
Takasaki H, Treleaven J, Johnston V, Rakotonirainy A, Haines A, Jull G. Assessment of driving-related performance in chronic whiplash using an advanced driving simulator. Accid Anal Prev. 2013;60:5-14.
Jang RW, Man-Son-Hing M, Molnar FJ, Hogan DB, Marshall SC, Auger J, et al. Family physicians’ attitudes and practices regarding assessments of medical fitness to drive in older persons. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22:531-43.
Hollis AM, Lee AK, Kapust LR, Phillips LK, Wolkin J, O’Connor MG. The driving competence of 90-year-old drivers: from a hospital-based driving clinic. Traffic Inj Prev. 2013;14:782-90.
Brouwer WH, Ponds RW. Driving competence in older persons. Disable Rehabil. 1994;16:149-61.
Devos H, Brijs T, Alders G, Wets G, Feys P. Driving performance in persons with mild to moderate symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Disable Rehabil. 2013;35:1387-93.
Karakontaki F, Gennimata SA, Palamidas AF, Anagnostakos T, Kosmas EN, Stalikas A, et al. Driving-Related Neuropsychological Performance in Stable COPD Patients. Pulm Med. 2013;2013:297371.
Ranchet M, Paire-Ficout L, Uc EY, Bonnard A, Sornette D, Broussolle E. Impact of specific executive functions on driving performance in people with Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord. 2013;28:1941-8.
Crizzle AM, Classen S, LaFranca C, Winter SM, Roper SN, Eisenschenk S. Assessing the driving performance of a person with epilepsy presurgery and postsurgery. Am J Occup Ther. 2013;67:e24-9.
Deschamps N, Ricaud X, Rabut G, Labbe A, Baudouin C, Denoyer A. The impact of dry eye disease on visual performance while driving. Am J Ophthalmol. 2013;156:184-9 e3.
Wood JM, McGwin G, Jr., Elgin J, Searcey K, Owsley C. Characteristics of on-road driving performance of persons with central vision loss who use bioptic telescopes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54:3790-7.
Bacon D, Fisher RS, Morris JC, Rizzo M, Spanaki MV. American Academy of Neurology position statement on physician reporting of medical conditions that may affect driving competence. Neurology. 2007;68:1174-7.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright statement
Authors must also submit a copyright statement (as seen below) on article submission.
To the Editor-in-chief of the SPMFR Journal:
The below signed author(s) hereby state that the article
________________________________________ (ref. MFR_________) is
an original unpublished work and all facts stated are a product of the author(s) investigation. This article does not violate any copyright laws or privacy statements. The author(s) also hereby confirm that there is no conflict of interest's issues in this article.
By submitting this article the author(s) agree that after publication all copyrights belong to the SPMFR Journal.
Signed by all authors
Date:
Names (capital letters):
Signatures:
The SPMFR Journal’s contents are follow a Creative Commons licence. After publication the authors can hand out the articles as long as the SPMFR Journal is credited.
