Physician and Family Discussions about Driving Safety: Findings from the LongROAD Study
DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.04.180326
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Summary
This study addresses the critical gap in communication regarding driving safety among older adults, a population whose driving ability often declines due to aging and health changes. While family members and physicians play pivotal roles in driving decisions, prior research indicated low rates of such discussions. The authors sought to quantify the prevalence of these conversations and identify demographic and behavioral factors associated with them, aiming to inform strategies for better risk assessment and driving cessation planning. The research utilized baseline data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) cohort study, a multi-site cross-sectional analysis involving 2,990 current drivers aged 65 to 79 years. Participants were recruited from primary care clinics in California, Colorado, Michigan, Maryland, and New York. Eligibility criteria included possessing a valid driver’s license, driving at least once weekly, and having no significant cognitive impairment. The study measured the frequency of discussions with family and physicians regarding driving safety, alongside variables such as demographics, self-reported driving ability, strategic and tactical self-regulation, and driving errors. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine associations between participant characteristics and the likelihood of having these discussions. The findings revealed that discussions about driving safety were rare: only 14.2% of participants reported discussing the topic with family, and just 5.5% had such conversations with physicians. When discussions did occur, family-initiated talks were more common than physician-initiated ones. Multivariate analysis identified several significant predictors. Men were more likely to discuss driving with family (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.32) compared to women. Higher education levels were strongly associated with both family (AOR 1.65 for those with a Master’s degree or higher) and physician discussions (AOR 1.77). Additionally, participants who engaged in self-regulatory driving reductions, reported lower self-rated driving ability, or experienced more driving errors and violations were significantly more likely to have family discussions. Those with higher education and self-regulatory behaviors were also more likely to speak with physicians. Notably, referrals for formal driving assessments following physician discussions were infrequent, occurring in only 3.6% of cases. The study concludes that the majority of older adults do not engage in necessary conversations about driving safety with family or healthcare providers. This lack of communication may hinder advance planning for driving cessation, which is linked to better health outcomes. The authors emphasize the need for practical interventions to engage both families and physicians. They suggest that physicians, who often lack training or resources for driving assessments, require simple screening protocols and triage tools. Furthermore, public awareness campaigns could help families initiate these difficult conversations. The findings highlight the importance of addressing this sensitive topic proactively to maintain mobility and well-being in the aging population.
Key finding
Only a small minority of older adult drivers reported discussing driving safety with family members or physicians, with higher education and male gender associated with increased likelihood of such discussions.
Methodology
survey
Sample size: 2990
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 author_sweep_intake on 2026-05-27 (2 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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