In-Person License Renewal May Reduce Crashes Involving People With Dementia

A U.S. study published in Neurology suggests older adults with dementia may be less likely to get in car crashes when they are required to renew their driver's licenses in person, reports Reuters . The researchers analyzed state ordinances designed to keep cognitively impaired drivers off the road, including mandates that physicians report patients to state licensing officials and requirements for people to renew licenses in person, get vision exams, or take road tests. Researchers also studied data on 136,987 crash hospitalizations for drivers age 60 or up in 37 states from 2004 to 2009. Hospitalized crash victims in states with in-person license renewal were up to 38 percent less likely to have dementia than in other states. Crash victims also were up to 28 percent less likely to have dementia in states requiring vision testing as part of in-person renewals. The University of Pittsburgh's Yll Agimi says the study's outcomes suggest families should not depend on doctors reporting a person with dementia to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to keep their loved one safe. "The message for older drivers and their families is that the key to safe driving may be a combination of methods that includes self-monitoring of one's driving ability, continued self-regulation of driving, discussions with family and doctor on safe driving, as well as the key role of the DMV and its licensing requirements," Agimi notes.