Judgments on fitness to drive in older drivers should rely upon empirical observations of performance, because decisions based on age alone may unfairly deny patients their mobility or unwisely authorize licensure in unfit older drivers. Instrumented vehicles permit quantitative assessments of driver performance in the field, under actual road conditions. These measurements are not subject to the type of human bias that affects inter-rater reliability on a standard road test. Moreover, the internal network of modern vehicles makes it possible to obtain information from the driver's own automobile, providing an unprecedented window on driver strategy, vehicle usage, upkeep, drive lenghts, route choices, and decision-making. Driving simulators make it possible to observe driver errors with optimal stimulus and response control in an environment that is challenging yet safe for the driver and tester, without the risk of driving on the road. Together, instrumented vehicles and driving simulators can provide a wealth of complementary information relevant to predictive models of driver safety, fair and accurate criteria for driver licensure, and effective injury prevention countermeasures in at-risk older drivers. (A)
Abstract