Survey of Older Drivers' Experiences with Florida's Mandatory Vision Re-Screening Law for Licensure

Abstract

Purpose-To document the license renewal experiences of Florida drivers ages 80 and older who must pass a visual acuity test when renewing their driver's license. Methods-Study participants (n=1,242 drivers) were contacted via telephone and completed a survey regarding their experiences with the license renewal process.Results-The majority (80.2%) of those eligible for license renewal reportedly attempted to do so and 88.0% succeeded the first time they tried. A large percentage of drivers (88%) who failed the vision test said they sought treatment, and 77.6% of drivers who reattempted renewal reportedly passed the test. About half of drivers who did not seek renewal said they thought they would fail the vision test. The majority of those choosing not to renew their license (99.5%) reported using transportation alternatives. Conclusions-ThisStudy suggests that the Florida vision screening re-licensure law is not a deterrent to seeking license renewal for the ≥80-year-old population. Furthermore, only a small percentage of Florida drivers ages ≥ 80 years and older reported that they failed the visual acuity screening test and were denied license renewal.

The Impact of a Vision Screening Law on Older Driver Fatality Rates

“…Despite concerns that this law would remove a significant number of drivers from the road, recent research suggests that this is not the case. In a study of Florida drivers scheduled for license renewal among those that sought license renewal 88.0% succeeded the first time they tried (15). For those who did not pass, initially most (88.1%) sought treatment to improve their vision and, of those, 77.6% were subsequently able to pass the vision test.…”

“…Among those who remain on the road, a small portion continue driving but with improved vision. According to a recent study, approximately 12% of those seeking license renewals fail the vision test, the majority (77.6%) of whom seek care and are subsequently able to pass the test (15). Thus, this group of drivers may have, in whole or in part, contributed to the observed decline in the fatality rate.…”

“…A recent survey indicated that 20% of Floridians aged 80 years and above eligible for renewal chose not to do so, the majority stating that they did not do so because they felt they could not pass the vision test (15). Thus, another potential explanation for the observed decline in fatality rates among Florida drivers aged 80 years and above is that high-risk drivers voluntarily remove themselves from the road, assuming they will fail the state-mandated vision test.…”

“…Failure to isolate the effects of in-person renewal and vision testing requirements, which often co-exist, in prior work may be partly responsible for prior observations that states with vision testing have lower fatality rates. For those Florida drivers aged 80 years and above who sought renewal in 2004 and 2005, the majority (73.6%) had their vision tested in-person at local licensing offices (15); however, prior to 2004 the distribution of in-person versus mail, internet or telephone renewal is unknown. Thus, it is unclear to what extent in-person license renewal versus vision screening accounts for the observed decline in the fatality rates.…”

A roadmap for interpreting the literature on vision and driving

“…Common domains that are addressed by these questionnaires are driving difficulties in or avoidance of general or specific situations, driving habits (e.g., where, when, how much one drives), driving errors (e.g., “close-calls” or near-crashes), and adverse events (e.g., moving violations, collisions). DRO questionnaires also have addressed drivers’ attitudes and beliefs about changes in vision re-screening policies 80 and have been developed as “self-assessment” tools designed to stimulate self-awareness by the driver regarding how visual and other functional limitations could impact their driving. 35 …”