Functional Changes and Driving Performance in Older Drivers: Assessment and Interventions

Abstract

With the increasing aging of the population, the number of older drivers is rising. Driving is a significant factor for quality of life and independence concerning social and working life. On the other hand, driving is a complex task involving visual, motor, and cognitive skills that experience age-related changes even in healthy aging. In this review we summarize different age-related functional changes with relevance for driving concerning sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. Since these functions have great interindividual variability, it is necessary to apply methods that help to identify older drivers with impaired driving abilities in order to take appropriate measures. We discuss three different methods to assess driving ability, namely the assessment of (i) functions relevant for driving; (ii) driving behavior in real traffic; and (iii) behavior in a driving simulator. We present different measures to improve mobility in older drivers, including information campaigns, design of traffic and car environment, instructions, functional training, and driving training in real traffic and in a driving simulator. Finally, we give some recommendations for assessing and improving the driving abilities of older drivers with multi-modal approaches being most promising for enhancing individual and public safety.

The effect of driving simulator program on elderly drivers

“…Safe driving requires complex interactions with the surrounding environment including vision, hearing, cognition and perception, and motor skills [22]. In the case of elderly drivers whose abilities have declined through aging, the risk of accidents increases due to the complex nature of driving [23]. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent accident risks by providing consistent training programs for elderly drivers.…”

Potential and Challenges for the Clinical Use of d-Serine As a Cognitive Enhancer

“…The age-related cognitive decline becomes important in older adults since it is associated with poorer quality of life, less independence ( 91 ), and higher incidence of falls ( 92 , 93 ). Mobility is a crucial aspect of quality of life in older adults, and the cognitive decline can hamper the ability to drive, affecting social activities and independence, further contributing to depressive symptoms ( 94 ). As walking in our fast-paced and complex world requires attention, it is no surprise that cognitive deficits in older adults are associated to gait stability and falls ( 95 ).…”

Aging changes in the retina of male albino rat: a histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study

“…Older people may experience alteration of vision, even in the absence of any identifiable eye disease. Advancing age has been associated with decrease in visual acuity and reduction in scotopic sensitivity, contrast sensitivity and motion sensitivity as well as poor performance on different visual discrimination tasks [19].…”