Service for the Psychological Assessment and Empowerment of Fitness to Drive (S.V.E.G. Psi)

Directors: Balzarotti, S., Biassoni F.

Scientific and management committee: Antonietti A., Balzarotti, S., Biassoni F.

Assessors: Confalonieri F., Foschi, V., Meinero C.A., De Battisti S.

Since May 2015, the Research Unit in Traffic Psychology has been providing a service for the psycho-diagnostic assessment of fitness to drive (i.e., of the cognitive/psychological requirements to drive safely) according to the rules established by the Italian Road Law.

The service employs the most recent tools for the assessment of fitness to drive, including computerized test batteries such as the Vienna Test System and the TAP-M to evaluate the driver’s cognitive abilities and personality traits involved in safe driving behavior. The service attempts to link clinical diagnostic activity and scientific research by referring to scientific literature concerning theories/models of driving behavior and the effectiveness of current diagnostic tools/scales.

The service can also provide users with rehabilitation interventions to empower the cognitive abilities related to driving (reaction times, attention, etc.), as well as counseling and training (e.g., workshops) to practitioners in the field.

So far, more than five hundred psychological evaluations of fitness to drive have been conducted, including the following main categories of users (who were required to undergo cognitive assessment by the Provincial Medical Commissions of Public Health Services):

• older adults with diabetes and/cardiovascular disease
• older adults who failed a preliminary MMSE screening
• strokes and chronic cerebrovascular disease
• mild cognitive impairment/Alzheimer disease
• parkinson disease
• psychiatric patients
• young drivers with intellectual disabilities and/or development disorders

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