The project concerns the traffic safety of elderly drivers. The report consists of two main parts the first of which is a review of the present state of knowledge and the second of which discusses the need for future research and proposes an r&d-programme for further development. The absolute and relative number of old drivers is steadily growing in sweden. One negative consequence of this trend is a growing involvement of old drivers in motor accidents. Several investigations indicate that the risk of accident assumes a "u" shape as function of age. Old people are more seriously injured than younger in motor accidents under equal conditions. Usually old drivers adapt their behaviour and driving pattern according to changes in psychological, physical and social conditions. In sweden research related to the specific safety needs of elderly people has so far been insignificant. For future research seven areas are pointed out and discussed. (1) an overall picture of the safety relevance of different kinds of psychological and biological aging factors. (2) further studies of actual risk-levels in traffic related to age of drivers and studies of the frequency of different types of accidents among old drivers. (3) studies of conceptions of risk and subjective risk experience among old drivers. (4) studies of medical consequences of car accidents to elderly. (5) studies of relations between aging, drug consumption and motor accidents. (6) studies of particular safety problems of aged professional drivers. (7) general studies of the needs and problems of elderly people in the traffic of today and tomorrow.
Abstract