141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

288242
Mature driver laws and state predictors of motor vehicle crash fatality rates among the elderly


Sunday, November 3, 2013

Teresa Maria Bell, BS, Department of Surgery, University of TN Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
Ben Zarzaur Jr., MD, MPH, Department of Surgery, University of TN Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
Background: State-level data have indicated that motor vehicle crash (MVC) fatality rates among the elderly vary widely across states (from about 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people over the age of 65 in Massachusetts to 20.7 per 100,000 in Mississippi). Thirty states have implemented mature driver laws, which require more vision testing and frequent license renewals for drivers above a certain age. We sought to evaluate the impact of mature driver laws on states' elderly MVC fatality rates while controlling for other state-level determinants of MVC-related deaths.

Methods: We modeled state MVC fatality rates for the population over age 65 as a function of state transportation policies, demographic, health system, population health, travel, and climate characteristics using a general linear model. Because death due to motor vehicle crash is a rare outcome among the elderly, we aggregated vital statistics data from 2006-2010 to ensure stability of rate estimates. Principal component analysis was used to reduce dimensionality of the data and overcome multicollinearity of state predictor variables.

Results: Average temperature, gas price, and ratio of emergency medicine physicians to population size were significant negative predictors of MVC fatality rates. Positive predictors were percent of population overweight or obese and percent with college degree over the age of 65. Having any restriction on elderly drivers was associated with a higher MVC fatality rate and no individual component of mature driver laws significantly decreased fatality rates.

Conclusions: Mature driver laws are not associated with lower MVC fatality rates among the elderly.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the impact of mature driver laws on state motor vehicle crash fatality rates among the elderly.

Keyword(s): Policy/Policy Development, Motor Vehicles

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a PhD candidate in Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of TN Health Science Center and have taken over 70 credit hours of coursework relating to statistics and health policy. I have been active in research for the past 9 years. My research has focused on injury, health disparities, and spatial determinants of health outcomes for the past 3 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 2032.0: Transportation safety