Leukoaraiosis, a common brain magnetic resonance imaging finding, as a predictor of traffic crashes.

Background: There are no reported studies on the relationship between traffic crashes and brain tissue changes in healthy drivers. The relationship between traffic crashes and leukoaraiosis, a common magnetic resonance imaging finding, was investigated in this study.

Methods: A total of 3,930 automobile drivers (2,037 men and 1,893 women; age, 21-87 years) who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging as part of total health check-ups and answered a road traffic questionnaire were examined to determine whether asymptomatic leukoaraiosis was associated with various types of traffic crashes.