This article reviews the issue of older drivers, examining a range of factors with specific reference to older drivers, including epidemiology, accident typology and changing driving styles. Changes in functional capabilities with age are examined under a range of headings to include visual, spatial, motor and cognitive abilities, with a separate consideration of the impact of dementia of the Alzheimer type. This is followed by a consideration of how older drivers adapt to and cope with the changes that assail them and the effects of their greater experience. Finally, resources and strategies which may help us to stay on the roads safely as we get older are examined, including a section devoted specifically to new technologies. A summary of a separate review of the impact of medication on older drivers is appended. (Author/publisher)
Abstract