Assessment of drivers' ability to anticipate traffic hazards after traumatic brain injury

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the effect of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on drivers' ability to anticipate traffic hazards. Slower anticipation of hazards has been associated with higher crash rates, but this driving skill has never been assessed after TBI.MethodsThe anticipatory ability of 31 drivers with TBI and 24 age-matched uninjured controls was assessed with a validated drivers' Hazard Perception Test. The Hazard Perception Test displayed videos of genuine traffic scenes filmed from the driver's perspective, and participants had to respond as soon as they anticipated a traffic hazard in a scene. The primary dependent measure was mean response latency.ResultsParticipants with TBI were significantly slower to anticipate traffic hazards than controls (p