Driver Screening and Assessment in the 21st Century

For individuals, personal mobility depends—for better or worse—on nothing so much as a valid driver’s license. Maintaining independent mobility is vital, simply to survive and certainly to thrive in contemporary society. The aging of America is accelerating. There is a growing need for research to inform policymaking as legislators grapple with this issue, and states begin to pilot test tools and technologies that offer the promise of identifying drivers at significantly higher risk of causing a crash. An overview of strengths, limitations, and the rationale for use of driver screening and assessment practices by licensing authorities in North America provides the framework to discuss what we can and should do next to enforce minimum standards for the ability of individuals to drive safely.