Development and Pilot Testing of the Driving Check-Up: Expanding the Continuum of Services Available to Assist Older Drivers
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Summary
This paper details the development and pilot testing of the "Driving Check-Up," a model program designed to expand services available to older drivers through driving schools. Motivated by the growing population of older adults seeking to maintain mobility and the need for a structured continuum of driver services, the project aimed to create an evaluation tool for healthy, experienced drivers. The program distinguishes itself from medical fitness evaluations by focusing on driving skills and knowledge rather than medical capacity, serving as a "gateway" to refer individuals with health concerns to occupational therapists or driver rehabilitation specialists. The development process involved a literature review, identification of existing programs, and consultation with an advisory committee and driving instructors. The resulting program consists of two phases: a scheduling phone interview and a 60–90 minute in-person assessment. The in-person component includes a pre-drive interview to gather driving history and health information, four screening tests for vision, cognition, and motor abilities, an on-road drive focusing on complex maneuvers, and a post-drive discussion providing feedback and recommendations. The design emphasizes clear protocols to protect driving instructors from liability, particularly regarding the identification of drivers with cognitive impairments, visual deficits, or episodic medical conditions that may not be immediately apparent. Pilot testing was conducted at six driving schools across the United States. Results indicated that the program was feasible and well-received by both instructors and older adult participants. Feedback highlighted the necessity of in-person training for instructors to effectively implement the program and distinguish between novice and experienced drivers. Instructors reported that the screening tools were useful for identifying potential issues, and the structured protocols helped manage liability concerns. Participants appreciated the objective feedback and the opportunity to discuss their driving performance. The pilot also revealed that the average duration of the check-up aligned with the planned timeframe, though some variations occurred based on individual needs. The study concludes that the Driving Check-Up successfully expands the scope of driving schools to serve older adults, providing a valuable service that enhances safety and confidence. It establishes a clear referral pathway to medical-based services for those with impairments, thereby protecting both drivers and instructors. The authors recommend further research to evaluate the program's effectiveness and emphasize the importance of collaboration between driving schools and healthcare providers. This initiative addresses a critical gap in community-based services, offering a practical solution for older drivers and their families while supporting the professional development of driving instructors.
Key finding
Pilot testing at six driving schools found the Driving Check-Up model was feasible and well received by older participants and instructors, while highlighting needs for validated screening protocols, face-to-face instructor training, and further effectiveness research before wide implementation.
Methodology
mixed_methods
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_aaa_foundation on 2026-05-23 (5 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | aaa_foundation | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| chunk | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
Topics
Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.
- older driver retraining
- fitness to drive assessment
- mci dementia driving
- cognitive impairment
- licensing policy
- older drivers
Information type
What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).
- Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
- Methodological Resource: validation psychometrics, measurement protocol