Do demographics and functional abilities influence vehicle type driven by older Canadians?

Brenda Vrkljan, Alexander Crizzle, Simon Villeneuve, Michelle Porter, Sjaanie Koppel, Barbara L. Mazer, Gary Naglie, Michel Bédard, Holly A. Tuokko, Isabelle Gélinas, Shawn C. Marshall, Mark J. Rapoport

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study, we examined the Candrive baseline data (n = 928; aged 70 to 94; 62% were men) to determine whether driver characteristics (i.e., age, gender, height, weight, BMI) and certain functional abilities (i.e., Rapid Paced Walk, Timed Up and Go) influenced the types of vehicles driven. There were significant differences with respect to type of vehicle and mean driver age (F = 3.58, p = 0.003), height, (F = 13.32, p <0.001), weight (F = 14.31, p <0.001), and BMI (F = 4.40, p = 0.001). A greater proportion of drivers with osteoporosis (χ2 = 21.23, p = 0.020) and osteo/rheumatoid arthritis (χ2 = 21.23, p = 0.020) drove small and medium-sized cars compared to larger ones. Further research is needed to examine older driver-vehicle interactions, and the relationship to demographics and functional abilities, given the vulnerability of this age group to automotive-related injuries.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)92-98
Number of pages7
JournalCanadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissment/Canadian Public Policy/Analyse de Politiques
Volume35
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Keywords

  • Aging
  • BMI
  • Driving
  • Older drivers
  • Vehicle design

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