In this thesis, the main focus was on assistive devices that may improve and prolong the safe mobility of older drivers. Older drivers form a group of road users that is getting more and more attention in road safety research and policy. An important reason for this growing interest is the increase in the percentage of older people in the future population of most developed countries. Furthermore, the number of older drivers will increase as a result of the increasing percentage of driving licence holders among the older adults, and senior drivers continuing to drive actively longer than before. The attention for older drivers is also based on a concern for the road safety implications of a growing population of older drivers. Especially since several studies have indicated that the fatality rate of older drivers is above average; as a group their number of road fatalities per kilometre driven is higher. Without countermeasures taken, an increase in the total number of road fatalities is a realistic scenario. The research presented in this thesis focused on measures that reduce crash involvement by making the driving task easier. Two types of measures were studied in detail: adjusting road design to reduce the complexity of traffic situations, and in-car devices that assist the driver. Both are considered assistive devices that have the potential to improve road safety as well as resolve the activity limitations and participation restrictions to which age-related functional limitations may lead. The main research questions of this thesis related to a general description of the current and future safety of older drivers, the characteristics of older drivers that may influence their safety, the most important needs for support that result from these characteristics, and assistive devices that may provide the desired support. (Author/publisher)
Abstract