DriveSafe and DriveAware: a promising new off-road test to predict on-road performance

Driving is an essential activity of daily life; however any loss of function may impact driving safety. Improved survival rates after stroke or brain injury and an ageing population mean there will be greater numbers of people with cognitive impairment who wish to continue, or resume, driving. Researchers have long attempted to develop tests that can predict driving performance with a sufficient accuracy to avoid the need for on-road assessment. Drivers’ awareness of their driving performance and the driving environment have been identified as important contributors to safe driving. DriveSafe and DriveAware are presented as assessment tools that can be used to identify ‘at risk’ drivers. These tests categorise drivers as unsafe, safe or requiring further testing and have the potential to reduce the number of people requiring on-road assessment by 50 per cent. However, further research is indicated. Successful identification of ‘at risk’ drivers is a community safety issue that DriveSafe and DriveAware can address. The tests have the advantage of being administered in an office setting. They have sufficient sensitivity and specificity to predict driving safety. Plans are underway to develop an electronic platform that could be readily used by doctors and other professionals. This new platform also will require research to validate, or establish new, test cut-offs.