Objective: The Drive Home Maze Test has been developed as part of a
clinic-based driver assessment battery. This article reports normative data and
preliminary inter-rater reliability for this test together with predictive
validity for a clinical sample.
Subjects and setting: 223 individuals contributed to the normative
data. Of these, data from 42 clients undergoing driver assessment as part of
their rehabilitation or health care plan were used to ascertain the predictive
validity of the Drive Home Maze Test for on-road driving performance (Pass/
Fail).
Main measure: The Drive Home Maze Test was developed for
occupational therapy driver assessors to use with all older and/ or functionally
impaired drivers prior to on-road testing. The test assesses a person s
executive function, attention and visuoconstructive skills.
Results: The normative data indicated that time taken and number of
errors on the maze increases with age. Performance on this test was strongly
indicative of driver assessment outcome using the regression model: ln(Odds of
failing on road) =
5.9451 + 2.7047 (log10 time taken to
complete the maze). Excellent preliminary inter-rater reliability was also found
using Ordinary Least Products linear regression analysis to test for bias
between two raters for time taken and number of errors on the maze, with values
ranging from r = 0.858 to 0.999.
Conclusions: The Drive Home Maze Test provides useful information
concerning a person's cognitive skills prior to undertaking an on-road
assessment. Time taken to complete this test is indicative of the outcome of an
on-road driver assessment.
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