- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Using Music and Sports to Improve Kids' Asthma
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Naprapathy: A Hands-On Approach to Pain Management
- Ginkgo No Shield Against Alzheimer's
- ANIMAL CARE
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- BONES & JOINTS
- Barefoot Lifestyle Has Its Dangers
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Rising Among U.S. Women
- Scientists ID New Genes Tied to Crohn's Disease
- CANCER
- Selenium, Omega-3s May Stave Off Colorectal Cancer
- To Quit Smoking, Try Logging On
- Minorities Distrust Medical System More
- CAREGIVING
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- Obese Children More Likely to Suffer Lower Body Injuries
- Caring for Aging Loved Ones Can Be a Catch-22
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- A Brisk Pace May Keep Stroke at Bay
- Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks
- Night Shift Work Hard on the Heart
- COSMETIC
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- New Genetic Links to Baldness Discovered
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Periodontal Disease Impacts Whole Health
- Acid Drinks Blamed for Increase in Tooth Erosion
- Sports Drinks May Be Tough on Teeth
- DIABETES
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics
- Vitamin K Slows Insulin Resistance in Older Men
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Vitamin D Vital for the Heart
- Indian Spice May Thwart Liver Damage
- Quick Weight Loss May Be Best for Long-Term Success
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Showerheads Harbor a Bounty of Germs
- Staying Slim Is Good for the Environment
- Pesticides on Produce Tied to ADHD in Children
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Hybrid Cars Pose Risk to Blind, Visually Impaired
- Diabetic Eye Disease Rates Soaring
- Nutrient-Rich Diet Lowers Risk of Age-Related Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- Resistance Training Boosts Mobility in Knee Arthritis Patients
- Mom and Baby Alike May Benefit From Exercise
- Exercise in Adolescence May Cut Risk of Deadly Brain Tumor
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Eating Lots Of Vegetables, Olive Oil May Extend Life
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- Simple Exercise Precautions To Help Keep Baby Boomers Fit
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Fish Oil Supplements Help With Heart Failure
- Ginkgo Won't Prevent Heart Attack, Stroke in Elderly
- A Little Chocolate May Do the Heart Good
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Swine Flu Closes Three Schools in NYC
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- KID'S HEALTH
- Scary Toxins Make Halloween Face Paints Questionable
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- School Phys. Ed. Injuries Up 150 Percent
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- The Dark Side of Vegetarianism
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- A Simple 'Thank You' Brings Rewards to All
- Brain Scans Show How Humans 'Hear' Emotion
- PREGNANCY
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Mom's Extra Pregnancy Pounds May Raise Child's Heart Risks
- SENIORS
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Money May Matter, Health-Wise, in Old Age
- Martial Arts Training May Save Seniors' Hips
Florida Vision Test Law: Fewer Traffic Deaths Among Elderly
By eHolistic.com Published: 11/11/2008
TUESDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Mandatory vision screening for Florida drivers over the age of 80 may be associated with lower death rates from traffic crashes in this age group, a new study says.
Vision screening for drivers over age 80 is a Florida law, passed in 2004, and requires all people 80 and older to pass the exam before they can renew their driver's license. For this study, researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed 2001-06 data on motor vehicle collision traffic deaths among all drivers in Florida. They then compared those rates to neighboring states Alabama and Georgia, which don't require vision tests for elderly drivers.
From 2001 to 2006, overall motor vehicle collision death rates in Florida increased by 6 percent, from 14.61 to 14.75 per 100,000 people per year. However, death rates among elderly drivers decreased by 17 percent, from 16.03 to 10.76 per 100,000. In Alabama and Georgia, there were no changes in death rates among older drivers.
The study was published in the November issue of the journal Archives of Ophthalmology.
While a number of possible reasons could explain the death rate decline in Florida, study author Gerald McGwin Jr. and colleagues suggested, "the most apparent reason is that the screening law removed visually impaired drivers from the road. However, in reality, the situation is significantly more complex."
The researchers noted that about 93 percent of elderly drivers were able to renew their license, which indicates that only a small percentage were denied licenses, because they failed to meet the vision standards.
In addition, it's possible the vision screening law improved elderly drivers' visual function overall, because many who failed the first test sought vision care and returned with improved vision. It's also possible that those with poor vision didn't even bother to apply for license renewal.
"Ultimately, whether the vision screening law is responsible for the observed reduction in fatality rates because of the identification of visually impaired drivers or via another, yet related, mechanism may be inconsequential from a public safety perspective," the study authors wrote. "However, the importance of driving to the well-being of older adults suggests that isolating the true mechanism responsible for the decline is, in fact, important."
Identifying this mechanism would enable states to introduce laws that accurately target high-risk older drivers while allowing low-risk older drivers to keep their licenses and mobility, the researchers said.
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about problems facing older drivers.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: JAMA/Archives journals, news release, Nov. 10, 2008
Last Updated: Nov. 11, 2008
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