Chronological age and age-related cognitive deficits are associated with an increase in multiple types of driving errors in late life.

Abstract

Objective: Older driver research has mostly focused on identifying that small proportion of older drivers who are unsafe. Little is known about how normal cognitive changes in aging affect driving in the wider population of adults who drive regularly. We evaluated the association of cognitive function and age with driving errors. Method: A sample of 266 drivers aged 70 to 88 years were assessed on abilities that decline in normal aging (visual attention, processing speed, inhibition, reaction time, task switching) and the UFOV ® , which is a validated screening instrument for older drivers. Participants completed an on-road driving test. Generalized linear models were used to estimate the associations of cognitive factors with specific driving errors and number of errors in self-directed and instructor navigated conditions. Results: All error types increased with chronological age. Reaction time was not associated with driving errors in multivariate analyses. A cognitive factor measuring speeded selective attention and switching was uniquely associated with the most errors types. The UFOV ® predicted blind-spot errors and errors on dual carriageways. After adjusting for age, education, and gender, the cognitive factors explained 7% of variance in the total number of errors in the instructor-navigated condition and 4% of variance in the self-navigated condition. Conclusion: We conclude that among older drivers, errors increase with age and are associated with speeded selective attention, particularly when that requires attending to the stimuli in the periphery of the visual field, task switching, errors inhibiting responses, and visual discrimination. These abilities should be the target of cognitive training.

Visual information search in simulated junction negotiation: Gaze transitions of young novice, young experienced and older experienced drivers

“…It is widely accepted that older drivers find the task of junction negotiation difficult (Breker, et al 2003;Creaser, Rakauskas, Ward, Laberge, & Donath, 2006), are prone to driving errors at junctions (Anstey & Wood, 2011;Boufous et al, 2008), and are over represented in high injury severity collisions at junctions (Langford & Koppel, 2006;Clarke et al, 2010), particularly at junctions intersecting roads with high speed limits (Baldock & McLean, 2005;IAM, 2010). In particular, older drivers experience problems turning right at junctions (left in countries where driving is on the right) and are typically involved in right turn (cross flow), 'failure to yield' collisions (McGwin & Brown, 1999;IAM 2010).…”

“…The agerelated functional deficits identified as having the greatest implications for older drivers 'at risk' of collision are: speeded visual selective attention, visual discrimination, dual task performance, task switching, response inhibition, reaction time, motor performance or sequencing (Anstey & Wood, 2011;Breker et al 2003). Specific problems in gap selection have been attributed to the misjudgement of speed or distance (Scialfa et al, 1991) and the ability to judge whether or not a collision will occur (De Lucia, Beckley, Myer & Bush, 2003).…”

“…Where older driver problems in junction negotiation may originate from processing limitations, due to typical age-related functional decline (Anstey & Wood 2011;Breker et al 2003;Keskinen, Ota & Katila, 1998), young novice driver problems are largely a result of their low exposure to junction scenarios, and are manifest in processing limitations associated with limited resource capacity, and a low awareness of the potential risks of the road traffic environment, compared to that of more experienced drivers (Groeger & Clegg, 1994;Osborn & Owens, 2010;Hickford, Piao & Preston, 2011). Research shows that young novice ' at risk' drivers have difficulties in assessing risks and gathering relevant visual information, they also take longer than more experienced drivers to detect hazards, especially as road traffic situations become more complex (West & French,1993;RoSPA, 2002).…”

Looking to the future of visual assessment using driving simulation

“…It is worth comparing the properties of visual decline as outlined above with commensurate decline in cognitive function which also regularly accompanies old age and could have severe implications for road safety (Anstey, Eramudugolla, Chopra, Price, & Wood, 2017;Anstey & Wood, 2011). Cognitive decline can manifest in various ways (e.g.…”

“…A variety of specific assessments have been endorsed by driving licencing authorities to determine sufficient/intact function for those with an illness that may have impaired driving. However, for the majority of older drivers, rather than experiencing a sudden discrete disease event, there is a gradual decline in perceptual, motor and cognitive functions that falls under the categorisation of "healthy-ageing" (Anstey & Wood, 2011;Anstey, Wood, Lord, & Walker, 2005;Bédard, Campbell, Riendeau, Maxwell, & Weaver, 2016). The rate of decline varies hugely across individuals, dependent on genetic and lifestyle factors (Raz et al, 2005), but in many countries (e.g.…”