Crash risk of older drivers after attending a mature driver education program

Abstract Older adults are at greater risk of death and serious injury in transportation crashes which have been increasing in older adult cohorts relative to younger cohorts. Can technology provide a safer road environment? Even if technology can mitigate crash risk, is it acceptable to older road users? We outline the results from several studies that tested 1) whether advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can improve older adult driving performance, 2) older adults’ acceptance of ADAS and Autonomous Vehicle (AV) systems, and 3) perceptions of value for ADAS systems, particularly for blind-spot detection systems. We found that collision avoidance warning systems improved older adult simulator driving performance, but not lane departure warning systems. In a young to middle-aged sample the factor “concern with AV” showed age effects with older drivers less favorable. Older drivers, however, valued an active blind spot detection system more than younger drivers.

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Association of Photopic and Mesopic Contrast Sensitivity in older drivers with risk of motor vehicle collision using naturalistic driving data

BMC Ophthalmology ◽

10.1186/s12886-020-1331-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cynthia Owsley ◽

Thomas Swain ◽

Rong Liu ◽

Gerald McGwin ◽

Mi Young Kwon

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Contrast Sensitivity ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Age Groups ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Motor Vehicle Crash ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Crash Risk ◽

Sensitivity Testing ◽

Naturalistic Driving

Abstract Background Older drivers have a crash rate nearly equal to that of young drivers whose crash rate is the highest among all age groups. Contrast sensitivity impairment is common in older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine whether parameters from the photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity functions (CSF) are associated with incident motor vehicle crash involvement by older drivers. Methods This study utilized data from older drivers (ages ≥60 years) who participated in the Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study, a prospective, population-based study. At baseline participants underwent photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity testing for targets from 1.5–18 cycles per degree. Model fitting generated area under the log CSF (AULCSF) and peak log sensitivity. Participant vehicles were instrumented with sensors that captured continuous driving data when the vehicle was operating (accelerometers, global positioning system, forward radar, 4-channel video). They participated for 1–2 years. Crashes were coded from the video and other data streams by trained analysts. Results The photopic analysis was based on 844 drivers, and the mesopic on 854 drivers. Photopic AULCSF and peak log contrast sensitivity were not associated with crash rate, whether defined as all crashes or at-fault crashes only (all p > 0.05). Mesopic AULCSF and peak log sensitivity were associated with an increased crash rate when considered for all crashes (rate ratio (RR): 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06–1.72; RR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.01–1.63, respectively) and at-fault crashes only (RR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.16–1.93; RR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.07–1.78, respectively). Conclusions Results suggest that photopic contrast sensitivity testing may not help us understand future crash risk at the older-driver population level. Results highlight a previously unappreciated association between older adults’ mesopic contrast sensitivity deficits and crash involvement regardless of the time of day. Given the wide variability of light levels encountered in both day and night driving, mesopic vision tests, with their reliance on both cone and rod vision, may be a more comprehensive assessment of the visual system’s ability to process the roadway environment.

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Visual attention and self-regulation of driving among older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s104161020700539x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 162-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Ozioma C. Okonkwo ◽

Michael Crowe ◽

Virginia G. Wadley ◽

Karlene Ball

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Public Safety ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Objective Measure ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Self Report ◽

Crash Risk

ABSTRACTBackground: With the number of older drivers increasing, self-regulation of driving has been proposed as a viable means of balancing the autonomy of older adults against the sometimes competing demand of public safety. In this study, we investigate self-regulation of driving among a group of older adults with varying functional abilities.Method: Participants in the study comprised 1,543 drivers aged 75 years or older. They completed an objective measure of visual attention from which crash risk was estimated, and self-report measures of driving avoidance, driving exposure, physical functioning, general health status, and vision. Crash records were obtained from the State Department of Public Safety.Results: Overall, participants were most likely to avoid driving in bad weather followed by driving at night, driving on high traffic roads, driving in unfamiliar areas, and making left-hand turns across oncoming traffic. With the exception of driving at night, drivers at higher risk of crashes generally reported greater avoidance of these driving situations than lower risk drivers. However, across all driving situations a significant proportion of higher risk drivers did not restrict their driving. In general, self-regulation of driving did not result in reduced social engagement.Conclusion: Some older drivers with visual attention impairments do not restrict their driving in difficult situations. There is a need for physicians and family members to discuss driving behaviors with older adults routinely to ensure their safety. The association between visual attention and driving restriction also has implications for interventions aimed at preserving mobility in the elderly.

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New test predicts crash risk of older drivers

International Journal of Trauma Nursing ◽

10.1016/s1075-4210(98)90084-0 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 116

Keyword(s):

Older Drivers ◽

Crash Risk

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Hazard Perception in Driving

Current Directions in Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0963721416663186 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 425-430 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Mark S. Horswill

Keyword(s):

Traffic Safety ◽

Crash Risk ◽

Driver Education ◽

Hazard Perception ◽

Driving Experience ◽

The Road ◽

Age Related ◽

On The Road ◽

The Uk ◽

And Training

Hazard perception in driving refers to a driver’s ability to anticipate potentially dangerous situations on the road ahead and has been the subject of research for over 50 years. It is typically measured using computer-based hazard-perception tests and has been associated with both retrospective and prospective crash risk, as well as key crash-risk factors such as distraction, fatigue, alcohol consumption, speed choice, and age-related declines. It can also differentiate high- and lower-risk driver groups. The problem is that it is also a skill that appears to take decades of driving experience to acquire. This raises the question of whether it is possible and practical to accelerate this learning process via assessment and training in order to improve traffic safety. We have evidence that, in contrast to most driver education and assessment interventions, hazard-perception testing and training appear to have the capability to reduce crash risk. For example, the inclusion of a hazard-perception test in the UK driver licensing process has been estimated to reduce drivers’ non-low-speed public-road crash rates by 11.3% in the year following their test.

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On the road to inclusion: Evaluation of a refugee driver education program in regional Victoria, Australia

Journal of Social Inclusion ◽

10.36251/josi.71 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 85 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elisha Riggs ◽

Karen Block ◽

Taffie Mhlanga ◽

Chritina Rush ◽

Mollie Burley

Keyword(s):

Education Program ◽

Driver Education ◽

The Road ◽

On The Road

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Reducing Crash Risk in Visually-Impaired Older Drivers: Medical-Surgical versus Educational Interventions

10.17077/drivingassessment.1114 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

Gerald McGwin ◽

Cynthia Owsley

Keyword(s):

Visually Impaired ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Crash Risk

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Prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Medication use in older drivers

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-019-1287-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Guohua Li ◽

◽

Howard F. Andrews ◽

Stanford Chihuri ◽

Barbara H. Lang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Longitudinal Research ◽

Inappropriate Medication ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

American Geriatrics Society ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Driving Ability ◽

Potentially Inappropriate Medication ◽

Crash Risk ◽

Beers Criteria

Abstract Background Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) use has been studied in a variety of older adult populations across the world. We sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of PIM use in older drivers. Methods We applied the American Geriatrics Society 2015 Beers Criteria to baseline data collected from the “brown-bag” review of medications for participants of the Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study to examine the prevalence and correlates of PIM use in a geographically diverse, community-dwelling sample of older drivers (n = 2949). Proportions of participants who used one or more PIMs according to the American Geriatrics Society 2015 Beers Criteria, and estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PIM use associated with participant characteristics were calculated. Results Overall, 18.5% of the older drivers studied used one or more PIM. The most commonly used therapeutic category of PIM was benzodiazepines (accounting for 16.6% of the total PIMs identified), followed by nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics (15.2%), antidepressants (15.2%), and first-generation antihistamines (10.5%). Compared to older drivers on four or fewer medications, the adjusted ORs of PIM use were 2.43 (95% CI 1.68–3.51) for those on 5–7 medications, 4.19 (95% CI 2.95–5.93) for those on 8–11 medications, and 8.01 (95% CI 5.71–11.23) for those on ≥12 medications. Older drivers who were female, white, or living in urban areas were at significantly heightened risk of PIM use. Conclusion About one in five older drivers uses PIMs. Commonly used PIMs are medications known to impair driving ability and increase crash risk. Implementation of evidence-based interventions to reduce PIM use in older drivers may confer both health and safety benefits. Trial registration Not applicable.

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