Protocol for Candrive II/Ozcandrive, a multicentre prospective older driver cohort study

Abstract

The Candrive II/Ozcandrive study, a multicentre prospective cohort study examining the predictive validity of tools for assessing fitness to drive, aims to develop an in-office screening tool that will help clinicians identify older drivers who may be unsafe to drive. This paper describes the study protocol. We are following a cohort of drivers aged ≥ 70 years for up to 4 years. A total of 928 participants were recruited in seven cities in four Canadian provinces, as well as 302 participants in two sites in Melbourne, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand. Participants underwent a comprehensive assessment at baseline and repeat the assessment yearly thereafter, as well as a brief follow-up assessment at 4 and 8 months each year. A recording device is installed in participants’ vehicles to assess driving patterns, and driving records are obtained from licensing authorities to determine the outcomes: at-fault crashes per kilometre driven and violations. The Candrive II/Ozcandrive study is unique owing to its size, duration, partnerships with Canad