Citation

DiGuiseppi CG, Smith AA, Betz ME, Hill L, Lum HD, Andrews H, Leu CS, Hyde HA, Eby DW, Li G. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2019; 132: 105273.

Affiliation

Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention, Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2019.105273

PMID

31521874

Abstract

This study examined cannabis use and driving outcomes among older drivers in Colorado, which has legalized medical and recreational use. The associations of self-reported past-year cannabis use with diverse driving outcomes were assessed in 598 drivers aged 65-79 (51% female, 70% with postsecondary education), using regression analysis to adjust for health and sociodemographic characteristics. Two hundred forty four (40.8%) drivers reported ever using cannabis. Fifty-four drivers (9.0%) reported past-year use, ranging from more than once a day (13.0%) to less than once a month (50.0%). Of past-year users, 9.3% reported cannabis use within 1 h of driving in the past year. Past-year users were younger, less highly educated, lower income, and reported significantly worse mental, emotional, social and cognitive health status than drivers without past-year use. Past-year users were four times as likely to report having driven when they may have been over the legal blood-alcohol limit (adjusted OR [aOR] = 4.18; 95% CI: 2.11, 8.25) but were not more likely to report having had a crash or citation (aOR = 1.36; 95% CI: 0.70, 2.66) in the past year. Users and non-users had similar scores on self-rated abilities for safe driving (adjusted beta=-0.04; 95% CI: -0.23, 0.15) and on driving-related lapses, errors and violations in the past year (adjusted beta = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.04, 0.12). Further study is needed to establish driving risks and behaviours related to cannabis use, independent of other associated risk factors, among older adults.


Keyword: Cannabis impaired driving


Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Cannabis; Driving; Geriatric; Marijuana; Older driver; Traffic safety