Conference Proceeding

Traumatic Brain Injury and Driver Safety: A Systematic Review

---

Abstract

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can lead to impairments in cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functions, which may ultimately affect an individual’s ability to drive. A systematic review was conducted to: 1) assess the impact of TBI on crash risk/driving performance; 2) determine what factors associated with TBI are predictive of increased crash risk/poor driving performance; and 3) determine if there is a likelihood of future seizure among individuals with a TBI who did not experience a seizure at the time of the injury. Results indicated that: 1) The available evidence is insufficient to determine whether crash risk is elevated for drivers with TBI compared to uninjured controls (Summary RR=1.32; 95% CI=0.77-2.25). However, driving performance was significantly impaired among individuals with TBI compared to uninjured controls (Strength of Evidence: Moderate); 2) Cognitive function measured by certain neuropsychological tests may predict the outcome of driving performance measured by a road test for patients with TBI. (Strength of Evidence: Moderate); and 3) Individuals with TBI who have not experienced a seizure within the first week post-injury still have a significant likelihood of experiencing late seizure(s). Frequencies of late seizures ranged from 1% to 25% during follow-up periods ranging from 1 to 11 years (Strength of Evidence: Moderate). The highest rate of late seizures (25%) was associated primarily with penetrating missile TBIs (Strength of Evidence: Minimally Acceptable [32% vs. 5%]). These findings have potential implications for regulatory agencies with responsibility for road safety.

How to Cite:

Tregear, S. & Williams, J. & Funmilayo, D., (2011) “Traumatic Brain Injury and Driver Safety: A Systematic Review”, Driving Assessment Conference 6(2011), 547-554. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1445

Rights: Copyright © 2011 the author(s)