Road mobility and the risk of road traffic accident as a driver. The impact of medical conditions and life events.

STUDY OBJECTIVE We conducted a longitudinal investigation of the impact of self-reported life events and medical conditions on changes in road mobility on the wheel between 2000 and 2002 in order to assess whether these changes would affect the risk of road traffic accident (RTA). METHODS Data are from a cohort of workers and retirees from the French national gas and electricity companies (the Gazel cohort). In the present study, 10,483 participants were included (7843 men aged 51-61 years and 2640 women aged 46-61 years, in 2000). The link between mobility and the risk of RTA was approximated using data on RTA number during lifetime and reported mobility in 2000. We then compared changes in road mobility between 2000 and 2002 resulting from life events and medical conditions reported to have occurred in the year 2001 or changed when compared to year 2000. We also compared road mobilities in 2000 in order to assess any pre-existing differences before life events and medical conditions. This led to estimation of the effect of road mobility changes on the risk of RTA. RESULTS Changes in road mobility associated with life events and medical conditions were only found among men. These changes in road mobility were minimal. Ensuing changes in the risk of RTA were estimated to be small (odds-ratios ranged from 0.94 to 1.01). The only life events found to be associated with increased road mobility was an important purchase. Hospitalization, serious RTA, and retiring were associated with reduced road mobility. Concerning medical conditions, men who reported cataract, angina pectoris, diabetes, anxiety and stress, sleep disorder, and depression decreased their road mobility. CONCLUSION We found no or moderate changes in road mobility resulting from life events and medical conditions, suggesting that results from previous published studies that assessed the impact of life events or medical conditions on RTA were not jeopardized by improper adjustment for road mobility.

[1]  M. Jessurun,et al.  Annual mileage, driving violations, and accident involvement in relation to drivers' sex, age, and level of education. , 1999, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[2]  L. Findley,et al.  Habitually sleepy drivers have a high frequency of automobile crashes associated with respiratory disorders during sleep. , 2000, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[3]  F. Meyer,et al.  Risk of automobile accidents among elderly drivers with impairments or chronic diseases. , 1994, Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique.

[4]  D. French,et al.  Behavioral correlates of individual differences in road-traffic crash risk: an examination method and findings. , 1993, Psychological bulletin.

[5]  M. Chiron,et al.  Emotional Stress and Traffic Accidents: The Impact of Separation and Divorce , 2004, Epidemiology.

[6]  R. Sims,et al.  Diabetes and automobile crashes in the elderly. A population-based case-control study. , 1999, Diabetes care.

[7]  K. Ball,et al.  Vision impairment, eye disease, and injurious motor vehicle crashes in the elderly. , 1998, Ophthalmic epidemiology.

[8]  P. L. Holt,et al.  Stressful life events preceding road traffic accidents. , 1981, Injury.

[9]  Beth T. Stalvey,et al.  Older drivers and cataract: driving habits and crash risk. , 1999, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[10]  Beth T. Stalvey,et al.  Visual risk factors for crash involvement in older drivers with cataract. , 2001, Archives of ophthalmology.

[11]  M L Selzer,et al.  Life events, subjective stress, and traffic accidents. , 1974, The American journal of psychiatry.

[12]  M K Janke,et al.  Accidents, mileage, and the exaggeration of risk. , 1991, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[13]  S. Broste,et al.  The effect of epilepsy or diabetes mellitus on the risk of automobile accidents. , 1991, The New England journal of medicine.

[14]  T Assum.  Attitudes and road accident risk. , 1997, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[15]  Emmanuel Lagarde,et al.  Pain and pain treatment were associated with traffic accident involvement in a cohort of middle-aged workers. , 2005, Journal of clinical epidemiology.

[16]  R. Norton,et al.  Driver sleepiness and risk of serious injury to car occupants: population based case control study , 2002, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[17]  Raymond C. Peck,et al.  A statistical model of individual accident risk prediction using driver record, territory and other biographical factors☆ , 1983 .

[18]  A. Ostfeld,et al.  Driving cessation and changes in mileage driven among elderly individuals. , 1993, Journal of gerontology.

[19]  P. Hamet,et al.  [Exposure to the risk of traffic accidents, a fundamental epidemiological parameter, and one difficult to measure]. , 1991, Revue d'epidemiologie et de sante publique.

[20]  J. Cauley,et al.  Driving Patterns and Medical Conditions in Older Women , 1997, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[21]  E. Wagner,et al.  Medical Conditions and Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries in Older Adults , 1994, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[22]  K L Campbell,et al.  Crash involvement rates by driver gender and the role of average annual mileage. , 1997, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[23]  R. Sims,et al.  Relations among chronic medical conditions, medications, and automobile crashes in the elderly: a population-based case-control study. , 2000, American journal of epidemiology.