Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39810239›Full record

ArticleInjury epidemiology2025

Impact of driver licensing renewal policies on older driver crash involvement and injury rates in 13 states, 2000-2019.

Cara J Hamann, Jonathan A Davis, Gilsu Pae, Motao Zhu, Gregory H Shill, Brian Tefft, Joseph E Cavanaugh

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Injury epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Cara J HamannInjury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, 145 N Riverside Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. cara-hamann@uiowa.edu.
Jonathan A DavisInjury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, 145 N Riverside Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Gilsu PaeInjury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, 145 N Riverside Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Motao ZhuDepartment of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA.
Gregory H ShillCollege of Law, University of Iowa, 280 Boyd Law Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Brian TefftAAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 607 14th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005, USA.
Joseph E CavanaughInjury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, 145 N Riverside Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.

Funding

NCIPC CDC HHS R49 CE003095NCIPC CDC HHS R49CE003095
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMotor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of injury death among adults aged 65 and older in the U.S., second only to falls. A common state-level approach to mitigating older adult crash risk is the implementation of driver license renewal policies which vary largely between states and data on their effectiveness in preventing crashes and injuries are limited. To fill this gap, the aim of this study is to examine the association between state driver license renewal policies and older driver crash and injury rates.

methodsHistorical crash data, license renewal policy data, and other relevant policy and demographic data were gathered from 13 U.S. states (CO, IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, UT, WI, WY) for years 2000 through 2019, inclusive. Main exposures included six license renewal policies: renewal period, in-person renewal frequency, vision testing, knowledge testing, on-road drive testing, and mandatory physician reporting. The primary outcomes were crash and injury rates per 100,000 population.

resultsThe study population included 19,010,179 crash-involved drivers aged 40 and older. State policies became less restrictive in many states over the study period, even for drivers aged 75 and older, resulting in longer times between renewals and fewer in-person renewal requirements. Loosening of in-person renewal from every time to less than every time was associated with increased crash rates, among drivers aged 65 to 74 (RR

conclusionsGenerally, state policies became less restrictive and resulted in longer required intervals between license renewal. Loosening of driver license renewal policies was associated with increased crash and injury rates. However, safety benefits of restrictive older driver licensing policies should be carefully weighed against costs to older adult well-being and quality of life following licensure loss. Additional methods to assess fitness to drive are necessary to identify the mechanisms behind the increased rates.

Indexed as

AgingCollisionLawsMotor vehicleTraffic

Identifiers

PMID39810239
PMCPMC11730141

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.