Previous studies have shown that attentional failures may result from the improper division of attention, visual search difficulties, and inappropriate selective attention. This study examines the contributions of attentional failures of older drivers at intersections. To induce change blindness in 62 study subjects, a modified flicker technique was used to explore the effects of time constraints on the accuracy of decision-making at intersections on young (18-25 years), middle-aged (26-64 years), young-old (65-73 years), and old-old (74+ years) drivers. Thirty-six intersection photographs were arranged so that one object (i.e., pedestrian, vehicle, sign, or traffic control device) in the scene would change when the images were alternated for either 5 or 8 seconds using the modified flicker method. Young and middle-aged drivers made considerably more correct decisions than did young-old and old-old drivers. Through logistic regression analysis, it was learned that age and time were significant predictors of decision performance in 14 of the 36 intersections. Driving assessment and crash investigation are among the actual and potential applications of this study.
Abstract