Enhancing the safe driving performance of older commercial vehicle drivers

Age is more than just a number: Implications for an aging workforce in the US transportation sector

“…Age was significantly related to deteriorations in speed and accuracy on complex tasks, possibly due to high memory and attentional requirements. Similarly, Llaneras et al (1998) found that truck drivers under age 50 had significantly faster (16-42% on average) response times across a variety of task types, as compared to drivers 65 and older.…”

“…Since the quantity and quality of sleep already degrades as part of the aging process, such interactions are potentially problematic. As mentioned previously, research has demonstrated that various human abilities (e.g., psychomotor, cognitive, perceptual) deteriorate as people get older (e.g., Llaneras et al, 1998). Even in cases where work demands remain constant over time, these decrements may result in greater employee health and safety concerns if there is not compensation through increased work support or control over work (Cox and Griffiths, 1995).…”

“…This suggests that experienced pilots rely on more than simply general problem-solving abilities to make decisions. Llaneras et al (1998) reported that, as a group, drivers aged 65 and older showed significant deterioration in decision-making skills when compared to drivers below age 50. However, they did not find a significant correlation between decision-making ability and age overall, indicating that chronological age alone is not a basis for determining a worker's capability in this regard.…”

“…With regard to vision, Hitchcock (1999) found evidence that visual acuity and contrast sensitivity decline with age. Research also suggests that older pilots experience visual field loss and have a harder time recovering from glare (Hitchcock, 1999), and that older truck drivers have difficulty with depth perception (Llaneras et al, 1998).…”

21st century trucking: A trajectory for ergonomics and road freight

“…Quality of rest of CVDs may also be salient, as this affects attention as well as the potential for safety-critical incidents (Baulk & Fletcher, 2012;Bunn, et al, 2005;Darwent, et al, 2012;Hanowski, et al, 2007;McCartt, et al, 2000;Pirrera, et al, 2010). It is possible that further considerations may be necessary in technology design in order to accommodate the British CVD workforce which has a disproportionately increasing average age (Charlton, et al, 2013;Lees, et al, 2012;Llaneras, et al, 1998).…”