The relationship between aging brains and driving safety performances (DSPs) of elderly drivers was studied. A total of 90 dementia-free participants (63 men and 27 women, mean age 75.31 ± 4.795 years) were recruited and their DSPs were analyzed on actual vehicles running through a closed-circuit course. DSPs were comprehensively evaluated on the basis of driving instructors' scores (DIS). Signaling and visual research behaviors, part of DSPs, were measured to supplement the DIS evaluation by driving recorders (DR) and wearable wireless sensors (WS), respectively. Aging brains were evaluated via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and experimentally assigned to two grades (high vs. low) of brain atrophy (BA) and leukoaraiosis (LA). Regression analyses on DIS and DR data, and logistic analysis on WS scores showed significant correlations of aging brains with degradation of DSPs. The participant group with more advanced BAs and LAs showed lower DIS, DR data, and WS scores representing degraded DSP regardless of age. These results suggest that MRI examinations from both volumetric and pathological perspectives of brains have the potential to help identify elderly drivers with dangerous driving behaviors. Brain healthcare, lifestyle improvements and medical treatments to suppress BA and LA, may contribute to preventing DSP degradation of elderly drivers with aging brains.

Sixty-three participants (32 novice, 31 experienced drivers) evaluated meanings of road users' signals in 24 traffic situations such as blinkers, headlights, hazard lamps and hand gestures. The traffic scenes were projected with a slide projector in a laboratory. Confidence in answers was also evaluated by using a five-point scale. The signals were classified into three categories: Formal Device-based Signal (Formal Signal), Informal Device-based Signal (Informal Signal), and Informal Gesture-based Signal (Everyday Signal). The total comprehension scores demonstrated that experienced drivers could understand the signals better than novice drivers. There was a large difference in the comprehension scores for Informal Signal between experienced and novice drivers. Novice drivers could understand Formal Signal and Everyday Signal better than Informal Signal. Similar results were also obtained in the confidence scores. Experienced drivers were more confident in their answers than novice drivers. An effect of gender was found in the scores of confidence. The discussion focuses on how driver's skill in interpersonal communication on roads develops in real traffic situations.

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