In my car the brake is on the right: Pedal errors among older drivers

PurposeTo assess to what extent specific cognitive functions contribute to pedal errors among older drivers.Methods180 subjects aged 65 and older completed a 30 min driving evaluation on a simulator as well as three cognitive tests, the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), the Clock Drawing Test, and Trailmaking Part A and B. Analyses based on logistic regressions were performed using age, gender, MMSE, Trailmaking Part A and B, and Clock Drawing Test as independent variables.ResultsResults indicate that Clock Drawing is the best predictor of pedal errors (odds ratio = 10.04, p < .0001, 95% CI: 3.80, 26.63) followed by age ≥84 (odds ratio 6.10, p < .05, 95% CI: 1.77, 21.03). In contrast, Trailmaking Part A and B, gender, and the MMSE were not significantly related to pedal errors.ConclusionExecutive dysfunction may be an important contributor to pedal errors and thus unsafe driving. Practitioners may wish to consider measures of executive function when evaluating patients for driving safety.