A significant factor impinging on older drivers’ ability to maintain safe and efficient mobility as they age is the decline in behavioral, cognitive, and perceptual functions. Declines in vision, hearing, cognitive processing, physical strength, and flexibility can increase the likelihood of crash involvement. This project developed and demonstrated a system to provide real-time safety information to older drivers. Background information on perceptual, cognitive, and physical limitations that can affect older drivers was used to identify potential information and warnings that might be provided to older drivers to address and mitigate some safety related behaviors. Additional input was solicited from Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (CDRS) who regularly work with older drivers to identify common types of information and driving feedback provided to improve driving performance. The older driver feedback system was developed at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and a demonstration version of the system was pilot tested with CDRSs and older drivers. The pilot test participants’ comments on the demonstration version, including their responses to evaluation questions, will be incorporated into future iterations of the feedback system. (Author/publisher)
Abstract