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Title

Visual acuity and factors influencing automobile driving status in 1000 patients age 60 and older

Purpose	To evaluate the number of people driving in accordance with common legal standards, measured through far binocular visual acuity and to identify variables associated with non-legal driving habits.
Methods	Subjects aged of 60 years and older were recruited at a tertiary referral center. We measured visual acuity on each eye and far binocular visual acuity. Driving criterias were defined as far binocular visual acuity equal or better than 20/40, according to the European legal driving requirements. Socioeconomic informations were obtained by questionnaires.
Results	1000 subjects were enrolled in the study during seven months (mean age: 71.3 years), of whom 810 were current drivers. Among the 810 current drivers, 732 (90.4%) had a far binocular visual acuity equal or better than 20/40, and 78 (9.6%) did not. Among the 190 non-drivers, 94 (49.5%) never drove; 47 (24.7%) had stopped driving because of their impaired vision; and 49 (25.8%) had stopped driving for other reasons. A logistic regression was performed to identify the variables statistically associated with the practice of driving without minimal visual requirements among licensed drivers, which revealed that a non-recent ophthalmological examination (p<0.001), the subject’s non-perception of impaired vision (p=0.001) and non-access to stores without a car (p<0.001) were influencing factors.
Conclusion	81% of our subjects aged 60 years and older were still driving, of whom 10% did not meet the European legal driving requirements set at equal or better than 20/40. The variables associated with driving status were the time of last examination, non-perception of visual impairment and limited access to stores without a car.

Authors 1

Last name	MARINESCU
Initials	C
Department	CHU Mont-Godinne
City	Yvoir

Authors 2

Last name	LEVECQ
Initials	L
Department	CHU Mont-Godinne
City	Yvoir

Authors 3

Last name	DE POTTER
Initials	P
Department	CHU St-Luc
City	Bruxelles

Authors 4

Last name	JAMART
Initials	J
Department	CHU Mont-Godinne
City	Yvoir