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Highway with overpasses conveying complexity

Driving: The super-activity of daily living?

Nov 24, 2021 - McMaster University - 24 minutes

Driving is a complex task that involves many different skills and body functions. To drive safely we need to integrate our visual, cognitive, physical, and perceptual skills. We’ve asked Dr. Brenda Vrkljan to talk about how cognitive decline can impact a person’s ability to drive safely and how healthcare professionals can help evaluate a person’s fitness to drive and support them in maintaining their mobility and independence for as long as possible.

Learn the answers to the following questions:

How should a person's fitness to drive be assessed?
What evidence links cognitive assessment tools, like clock-drawing tests, to medical fitness to drive?
What other cognitive assessments may be done?
What are signs someone should consider stopping driving?
What are some of the downsides to stopping driving?
What should be considered when driving may no longer be an option?

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Author Details

Anthony Levinson

Dr. Anthony J. Levinson is a Professor at McMaster University and holds the John R. Evans Chair in Health Sciences Educational Research and Instructional Development. One of the co-leaders of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, Dr. Levinson is also a psychiatrist with a special interest in medical psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. His area of research interest includes online learning to improve healthcare provider and patient education.

Author Details

Brenda Vrkljan

Dr. Brenda Vrkljan is a Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University and a trained Occupational Therapist. She is passionate about promoting safe and functional mobility across the lifespan, which is evident in her research in the CanDrive initiative, a study that focuses on older adults and driving patterns.

References

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Turcotte, M. Profile of seniors' transportation habits. Can Soc Trends. 2012;93: 1-16.
Canadian Medical Association. (2019). Determining medical fitness to drive: A guide for physicians (9th ed.) (2019 Oct). Accessed September 15, 2021. Available from: https://www.uottawa.ca/sites/g/files/bhrskd401/files/2022-07/cma_drivers_guide_9th_edition.pdf
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Chihuri SC, Mielenz TJ, DiMaggio CJ, et al. Driving cessation and health outcomes in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016 Jan; 64:332– 341.
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Acknowledgements

This work is supported through the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and funds provided by the Dean and Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.

DISCLAIMER: These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professional. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).

Many of our Blog Posts were written before the COVID-19 pandemic and thus do not necessarily reflect the latest public health recommendations. While the content of new and old blogs identify activities that support optimal aging, it is important to defer to the most current public health recommendations. Some of the activities suggested within these blogs may need to be modified or avoided altogether to comply with changing public health recommendations. To view the latest updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada, please visit their website.

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