Accident, injury, and fatality rates are increasing for automobile drivers aged 65 or over. At the same time, this growing segment of the population has a continuing need for the independence enjoyed by licensed drivers. The goal of this project was to recommend means of ameliorating the problem of senior driver safety and mobility to Transport Canada. Because of the problem's pragmatic nature, the methodology used was based on a literature search and interviews with researchers and stakeholders in the field. A profile of the aging driving taking into consideration the deterioration of sensory, cognitive, and motor skills required for driving was prepared. This profile was used to develop recommendations covering vehicle design issues, training and licensing, and the information needs of the senior car buyer. Further work in the following areas was recommended: differences between older and younger drivers in attention allocation, assignment of priorities when faced with numerous tasks, and coordination; correlation between car size and accident, injury, and at-fault rates for senior drivers in Canada; differences in proprioception amongst senior drivers and the effects of this on driving performance; and effects of prescription drugs (single and in combination) on driving performance.
Abstract