Drivers with dementia: Forecasting the future.

Abstract

BackgroundA decline in driving skills is well documented in people with dementia.ObjectiveTo provide a current estimate and future forecast of drivers with dementia in Ontario, Canada, taking into account sex differences and longitudinal estimates of driving cessation in dementia.MethodsWe used historical provincial licensing data, population estimates and projections, as well as estimates of diagnosable dementia from the Landmark study of the Alzheimer's Society of Canada to create current estimates and forecasts of drivers with dementia in the province of Ontario, the most populous province of Canada, from 2024 to 2046. Sensitivity analyses were used to determine the impact of sex and assumptions regarding the rate of driving cessation.ResultsAssuming that an estimated 35% of people with diagnosable dementia stop driving very shortly after symptom onset followed by a more gradual decline over time, and that females stop driving twice as fast as men, we forecast approximately 154,000 drivers with dementia in the province of Ontario in 2046.ConclusionsAs dementia prevalence increases, our study provides a novel set of projections for drivers with dementia over the coming two decades, estimating a 221% to 226% increase. This work adds to the myriad of concerns about health and public services that will be needed to treat and support this population effectively, to detect early signs of dangerous driving among the cognitively impaired, and to provide alternative transportation options, once driving is no longer viable.