Driver licensing and motor vehicle crash rates among young adults with amblyopia and unilateral vision impairment.
Julia M Baker, Carolyn Drews-Botsch, Melissa R Pfeiffer, Allison E Curry
Author Information
Julia M Baker: Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Carolyn Drews-Botsch: Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Melissa R Pfeiffer: Center for Injury Research and Prevention, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Allison E Curry: Center for Injury Research and Prevention, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Division of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Electronic address: currya@email.chop.edu.
This retrospective cohort study investigated whether unilateral vision impairment (UVI) or amblyopia are associated with driver licensing and crash risk among young adults. Electronic health records for New Jersey residents who were patients with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's healthcare network were linked to statewide driver licensing and crash data. We compared young adults with a diagnosis of UVI and/or amblyopia to peers without such a diagnosis. Young adults with UVI or amblyopia were less likely to acquire a driver's license than those without these conditions. However, among licensed drivers, the risk of a police-reported crash was similar in all three groups.
