Staying Active

Researchers Work to Improve Driver Testing

Listen to Dr. Sims' discussion:

A number of UAB researchers are working to improve testing procedures used to determine whether older adults can function safely behind the wheel of an automobile.

"At this point, our research is focusing on several tests that are probably a level above the standard visual acuity and peripheral vision tests that one gets at the Department of Motor Vehicles," says Richard Sims, M.D., of the UAB Center for Aging and VA Medical Center.

"Several of my colleagues here at UAB, in particular Karlene Ball, Ph.D., and Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., have been investigating for some years what types of tests might be more effective. One that they've developed is a test called 'useful field of view,' which is defined by the diameter of the circle where you can take in information visually at one glance.

"We know that if your useful field of view is shrunk down below a certain point, then your risk of having a crash in the subsequent two or three years is considerably higher than if your useful field of view is normal.

"This test, which determines the speed at which you're able to process visual information, is found not only to be a predictor of car crashes, but is also pertinent to the ability of an older adult to manage certain activities within the home."

A downloadable audio file of Dr. Sims' article is also available.