Driving and Capacity

New Zealand Dementia Foundation > Research Radar > Driving and Capacity
Reactions to Driving Cessation: A Qualitative Study of People With Dementia and Their Families.


Chacko, E. E., Wright, W. M., Worrall, R. C., Adamson, C., & Cheung, G. (2015).
Australasian Psychiatry, 23(5), 496-499.

This paper aims to explore the psychosocial and adjustment issues following driving cessation for New Zealanders with dementia and their supporters. For those who could remember the details of driving cessation, most were unhappy with the decision. 

CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS

Performance of the Maze Navigation Test in a Sample of Older New Zealanders.


Ma’u, E., & Cheung, G. (2015). 
Australasian Psychiatry, 23(5), 503-506.

It is often difficult to assess the driving performance of people with mild dementia. The Maze Navigation Test (MNT) was developed in the USA and has been shown to predict driving performance. The aim of this study is to evaluate how the MNT is performed relative to three commonly used bedside cognitive screening tools and to compare our findings with those of the US population, using a convenience sample of 42 cognitively intact older people (age ≥65). The findings of this study were comparable with the initial US data. Further validation studies using the MNT and driving performance are warranted. 

CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS

Decision-Making Capacity Law Developments in Aotearoa New Zealand.


Burmester, B., Leathem, J., & Merrick, P. L. (2014). 
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 104, 102140.

This article analyses features of New Zealand’s approach to decision-making capacity law. 

CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS

Review of Capacity Assessments and Recommendations for Examining Capacity.


Astell, H., Lee, H., & Sankaran, S. (2013). 
New Zealand Medical Journal, 126(1383), 38-48.

This study reviewed capacity assessments at a New Zealand hospital over a 3.5-year period. Most assessments were conducted on patients with dementia.  A brief guideline for performing a capacity assessment is included. 

CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS

Diagnosis of Cognitive Impairment and the Assessment of Driving Safety in New Zealand: A Survey of Canterbury GPs.


Hoggarth, P A. (2013). 
New Zealand Medical Journal, 126(1387), 87-97.

A survey was conducted to assess how GPs in Canterbury (New Zealand) determine the driving ability of their older patients with cognitive impairment.

CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS

Assessment of Older Drivers in New Zealand: The Current System, Research and Recommendations.


Hoggarth, P., Innes, C., Dalrymple-Alford, J., Croucher, M., Severinsen, J., Gray, J., et al. (2011). 
Australasian Journal on Ageing, 30(3), 148-155

The purpose of this article is to clarify the current New Zealand driving licensing requirements for older adults and to provide practical recommendations for those health professionals who make decisions regarding driving ability in older adults based on a review and consultation with health professionals involved in the assessment of older drivers.

CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS

Ability of the Maze Navigation Test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail Making Tests A & B To Predict On-Road Driving Performance in Current Drivers Diagnosed With Dementia.


Ma’u, E., & Cheung, G. (2020). 
New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1513), 23-32.

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of the Maze Navigation Test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Trail Making Tests A & B to predict on-road driving performance in current drivers diagnosed with dementia. Results of this study indicate that Maze Navigation Test completion time and the MoCA domains of attention and visuospatial/executive functioning could be used to inform driving ability and to further refer for a specialist driving assessment.

ENQUIRE WITH YOUR LIBRARY FOR ASSISTANCE

From Protectionism to Inclusion: A New Zealand Perspective on Health-Related Research Involving Adults Incapable of Giving Informed Consent.


Douglass, A., & Ballantyne, A. (2019). 
Bioethics, 33(3), 384-392.

The revision of the Council of International Organisations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) International ethical guidelines for health‐related research (2016) heralds a paradigm shift from the ‘protectionist’ policies towards a more nuanced and inclusive approach to research participation.  New Zealand law currently adopts a ‘best interests’ standard, which significantly restricts the scope of permissible research that may be performed in this context. This article argues that the CIOMS 2016 should influence change to New Zealand’s legal framework for ethical review of research.

ENQUIRE WITH YOUR LIBRARY FOR ASSISTANCE

The Process of Determining Driving Safety in People With Dementia: A Review of the Literature and Guidelines From 5 English-speaking Countries.


Walsh, L., Chacko, E., & Cheung, G. (2019). 
Australasian Psychiatry, 1039856219848828.

This article reviews the literature and guidelines on assessing driving safety among people with dementia across five countries, including New Zealand.

ENQUIRE WITH YOUR LIBRARY FOR ASSISTANCE

Fitness To Drive in Early Dementia: A Clinical Ethics Case.


Hyslop, B. (2017).
Clinical Ethics, 12(4), 217-221.

A 90-year-old man is diagnosed with early dementia. There are concerns about his fitness to drive safely, but he is determined to continue driving. In this case, the clinician finds that this decision on fitness to drive is essentially evaluative and normative. Given the conflict of interests involved, how should the clinician attempt to manage this challenging ethical dilemma? 

ENQUIRE WITH YOUR LIBRARY FOR ASSISTANCE

Assessing Driving Fitness in Dementia: A Challenge for Old Age Psychiatrists.


Knight, R. G., Nicholls, J., & Titov, N. (2008). 
Australasian Psychiatry, 27(5), 501-505.

To investigate how old age psychiatrists consider the fitness of dementia patients to drive safely and the challenges they face. Thirteen participants were recruited. Most felt they were not experts in driving fitness. 

ENQUIRE WITH YOUR LIBRARY FOR ASSISTANCE