Exploring older drivers' perceptions of driving.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Musselwhite CBA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5547350 | biostudies-other | 2010 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:Aging is associated with a large heterogeneity in the extent of age-related changes in sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. All these functions can influence the performance in complex tasks like car driving. The present study aims to identify potential differences in underlying cognitive processes that may explain inter-individual variability in driving performance. Younger and older participants performed a one-hour monotonous driving task in a driving simulator under varying crosswind conditions, while behavioral and electrophysiological data were recorded. Overall, younger and older drivers showed comparable driving performance (lane keeping). However, there was a large difference in driving lane variability within the older group. Dividing the older group in two subgroups with low vs. high driving lane variability revealed differences between the two groups in electrophysiological correlates of mental workload, consumption of mental resources, and activation and sustaining of attention: Older drivers with high driving lane variability showed higher frontal Alpha and Theta activity than older drivers with low driving lane variability and-with increasing crosswind-a more pronounced decrease in Beta activity. These results suggest differences in driving strategies of older and younger drivers, with the older drivers using either a rather proactive and alert driving strategy (indicated by low driving lane variability and lower Alpha and Beta activity), or a rather reactive strategy (indicated by high driving lane variability and higher Alpha activity).
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Project description:Background and objectivesPredictors and consequences of driving cessation in older adults have been studied extensively. This study sought to establish the extent to which former drivers resume driving and identify associated factors.Research design and methodsDescriptive analysis of the 2011-2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study data (Round 1: n = 6,680; Round 5: n = 3,409) characterized the extent of driving resumption through 2015 by baseline driving status (driver, former driver, never driver). Weighted multivariate logistic regression and multilevel longitudinal models examined predictors of driving resumption.ResultsAmong drivers who stopped driving during the study, 17%-28% resumed driving. Age, vehicle ownership, stroke, hospitalization, memory, and perceived transportation barriers were associated with resumption in regression analysis. In multilevel analysis stratified by baseline driving status, poor word recall (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.40, 0.95) and use of public transportation (OR = 9.74; 95% CI = 1.54, 61.77) were significantly associated with driving resumption for baseline drivers, while use of taxi (OR < 0.001; 95% CI = <0.001, 0.02) was negatively associated with resumption for baseline former drivers.Discussion and implicationsThis study highlights several factors associated with driving resumption. Uncertainty about the underlying causes for resumption remains, so results should be interpreted with caution. However, predictive factors may help to identify individuals in need of additional mobility transition counseling. Ongoing transportation assessment may be warranted among former drivers.
| S-EPMC6208715 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:With the aging of the population, the number of older drivers is on the rise. This poses significant challenges for public health initiatives, as older drivers have a relatively higher risk for collisions. While many studies focus on developing screening tools to identify medically at-risk drivers, little research has been done to develop training programs or interventions to promote, maintain or enhance driving-related abilities among healthy individuals. The purpose of this systematic review is to synopsize the current literature on interventions that are tailored to improve driving in older healthy individuals by working on components of safe driving such as: self-awareness, knowledge, behaviour, skills and/or reducing crash/collision rates in healthy older drivers. METHODS:Relevant databases such as Scopus and PubMed databases were selected and searched for primary articles published in between January 2007 and December 2017. Articles were identified using MeSH search terms: ("safety" OR "education" OR "training" OR "driving" OR "simulator" OR "program" OR "countermeasures") AND ("older drivers" OR "senior drivers" OR "aged drivers" OR "elderly drivers"). All retrieved abstracts were reviewed, and full texts printed if deemed relevant. RESULTS:Twenty-five (25) articles were classified according to: 1) Classroom settings; 2) Computer-based training for cognitive or visual processing; 3) Physical training; 4) In-simulator training; 5) On-road training; and 6) Mixed interventions. Results show that different types of approaches have been successful in improving specific driving skills and/or behaviours. However, there are clear discrepancies on how driving performance/behaviours are evaluated between studies, both in terms of methods or dependent variables, it is therefore difficult to make direct comparisons between these studies. CONCLUSIONS:This review identified strong study projects, effective at improving older drivers' performance and thus allowed to highlight potential interventions that can be used to maintain or improve older drivers' safety behind the wheel. There is a need to further test these interventions by combining them and determining their effectiveness at improving driving performance.
| S-EPMC7119079 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The number of older drivers is steadily increasing, and advancing age is associated with a high rate of automobile crashes and fatalities. This can be attributed to a combination of factors including decline in sensory, motor, and cognitive functions due to natural aging or neurodegenerative diseases such as HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND). Current clinical assessment methods only modestly predict impaired driving. Thus, there is a need for inexpensive and scalable tools to predict on-road driving performance. In this study EEG was acquired from 39 HIV+ patients and 63 healthy participants (HP) during: 3-Choice-Vigilance Task (3CVT), a 30-min driving simulator session, and a 12-mile on-road driving evaluation. Based on driving performance, a designation of Good/Poor (simulator) and Safe/Unsafe (on-road drive) was assigned to each participant. Event-related potentials (ERPs) obtained during 3CVT showed increased amplitude of the P200 component was associated with bad driving performance both during the on-road and simulated drive. This P200 effect was consistent across the HP and HIV+ groups, particularly over the left frontal-central region. Decreased amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP) during 3CVT, particularly over the left frontal regions, was associated with bad driving performance in the simulator. These EEG ERP metrics were shown to be associated with driving performance across participants independent of HIV status. During the on-road evaluation, Unsafe drivers exhibited higher EEG alpha power compared to Safe drivers. The results of this study are 2-fold. First, they demonstrate that high-quality EEG can be inexpensively and easily acquired during simulated and on-road driving assessments. Secondly, EEG metrics acquired during a sustained attention task (3CVT) are associated with driving performance, and these metrics could potentially be used to assess whether an individual has the cognitive skills necessary for safe driving.
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Project description:BACKGROUND: In many countries, primary care physicians determine whether or not older drivers are fit to drive. Little, however, is known regarding the effects of cognitive decline on driving performance and the means to detect it. This study explores to what extent the trail making test (TMT) can provide indications to clinicians about their older patients' on-road driving performance in the context of cognitive decline. METHODS: This translational study was nested within a cohort study and an exploratory psychophysics study. The target population of interest was constituted of older drivers in the absence of important cognitive or physical disorders. We therefore recruited and tested 404 home-dwelling drivers, aged 70 years or more and in possession of valid drivers' licenses, who volunteered to participate in a driving refresher course. Forty-five drivers also agreed to undergo further testing at our lab. On-road driving performance was evaluated by instructors during a 45 minute validated open-road circuit. Drivers were classified as either being excellent, good, moderate, or poor depending on their score on a standardized evaluation of on-road driving performance. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operator curve for detecting poorly performing drivers was 0.668 (CI95% 0.558 to 0.778) for the TMT-A, and 0.662 (CI95% 0.542 to 0.783) for the TMT-B. TMT was related to contrast sensitivity, motion direction, orientation discrimination, working memory, verbal fluency, and literacy. Older patients with a TMT-A???54 seconds or a TMT-B???150 seconds have a threefold (CI95% 1.3 to 7.0) increased risk of performing poorly during the on-road evaluation. TMT had a sensitivity of 63.6%, a specificity of 64.9%, a positive predictive value of 9.5%, and a negative predictive value of 96.9%. CONCLUSION: In screening settings, the TMT would have clinicians uselessly consider driving cessation in nine drivers out of ten. Given the important negative impact this could have on older drivers, this study confirms the TMT not to be specific enough for clinicians to justify driving cessation without complementary investigations on driving behaviors.
| S-EPMC4256796 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundDriving for older adults is a matter of balancing independence, safety and mobility, and prematurely relinquishing the car keys can impact morbidity and mortality. Discussions about "when to hang up the keys" are difficult for clinicians, drivers, and family members, and therefore are often avoided or delayed. "Advance Driving Directives" (ADDs) may facilitate conversations between health care providers and older drivers focused on prevention and advance planning for driving cessation.ObjectiveTo examine clinician and older driver perspectives on ADDs and driving discussions.DesignQualitative descriptive study using iterative focus groups and interviews with clinicians and drivers.Participants(1) Eight practicing internal medicine physicians, physician assistants or nurse practitioners working at three university-affiliated clinics; and (2) 33 community-dwelling current drivers aged 65 years or older.ApproachTheme analysis of semi-structured focus groups and interviews with clinicians and older drivers was used to explore clinician and driver perspectives on "ADDs" and driving conversations. General inductive qualitative techniques were used to identify barriers and facilitators to conversations between older drivers and their healthcare providers about driving and health.Key resultsFive dominant themes emerged: (1) clinicians usually initiate conversations, but typically not until there are "red flags;" (2) drivers are open to conversations, especially if focused on prevention rather than interventions; (3) family input influences clinicians and drivers; (4) clinical setting factors like short appointments affect conversations; and (5) both clinicians and drivers thought ADDs could be useful in some situations and recommended making general questions about driving a part of routine care.ConclusionsClinicians and older drivers often wait to discuss driving until there are specific "red flags", but both groups support a new framework in which physicians routinely and regularly bring up driving with patients earlier in order to facilitate planning for the future.
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Project description:Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence among South African youth is high, yet HIV testing remains suboptimal. We explored how perceptions of HIV risk and behaviours informed decisions to test for HIV. This study was conducted from April 2018 to March 2019 in Ekurhuleni district, Gauteng Province with males and females aged between 15-24 years. Twenty-five youth with unknown HIV status participated in in-depth interviews (IDIs); while four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with those that previously tested for HIV. Probes used in the guides included types of incentives that youth would value when testing for HIV or receiving treatment; barriers and motivators to HIV testing; enablers and challenges to using cellphone technology and preferences on type of social media that could be used to create awareness about HIV testing services. IDIs and FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated. QSR NVIVO 10 was used for the analysis. The majority of the youth perceived that their risk of HIV infection was low due to factors such as being young, lacking physical signs of HIV, being sexually inactive and parents not being HIV positive. However, youth identified high risk behaviours such as unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, excessive drinking of alcohol, being victims of sexual abuse, road accidents and violent behaviour as increasing their vulnerability to HIV. Most youth highlighted cues to action that would motivate them to test for HIV such as support of parents, receiving incentives, improved confidentiality during HIV testing and receiving information about HIV via social media (Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp). Despite perceptions of low risk to HIV, youth remain vulnerable to HIV. Disseminating HIV information via digital platforms; giving youth options to choose between testing locations that they consider to be private; providing incentives and equipping parents/guardians to encourage youth to test could optimise HIV testing.
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Project description:This study investigated the relationship between cerebral gray matter (GM) regions and driving safety behaviors (DSBs) of 98 older drivers without dementia (mean age, 77.72 ± 3.677 years). Their DSBs were evaluated on actual vehicles running on a closed-circuit course. The DSB was scored in six categories: DSB1, visual search behavior; DSB2, speeding; DSB3, signaling of the indicator; DSB4, vehicle stability; DSB5, positioning; and DSB6, steering. The scores were calculated by a single driving instructor; larger scores indicated safer driving performances. Regional GM volumes were measured with voxel-based morphometry by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Out of 56 GM regions, 18 were correlated with DSB categories except for DSB4. When a single GM region was correlated with multiple DSB categories, a positive or negative response was uniformly determined for the respective region despite clear differences in the DSB categories. This result suggests the possible existence of two contradictory mechanisms in the brain for DSB. The left postcentral gyrus may largely function in regulating DSBs because it was negatively correlated with five of six DSB categories. Thus, MRI's measurement of regional GM volumes may help deepen the understanding of the diversity and complexity inherent in brain functions for DSBs.
| S-EPMC10762062 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMany older adults face the difficult decision of when to stop driving. We sought to test whether an online driving decision aid (DDA) would improve decision quality.MethodsThis prospective two-arm randomized trial enrolled English-speaking licensed drivers (age ≥70 years) without significant cognitive impairment but with ≥1 diagnosis associated with increased likelihood of driving cessation; all participants received primary care in clinics associated with study sites in three states. The intervention was the online Healthwise® DDA for older adults addressing "Is it time to stop driving?"; control was web-based information for older drivers only. The primary outcome was decision conflict as estimated by the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS; lower scores indicate higher quality). Secondary outcomes were knowledge and decision self-efficacy about driving decisions. We examined postrandomization differences in primary and secondary outcomes by study arm using generalized linear mixed-effects models with adjustment for site and prerandomization scores.ResultsAmong 301 participants (mean age: 77.1 years), 51.2% identified as female and the majority as non-Hispanic (99.0%) and white (95.3%); 98.0% lived in an urban area. Participant characteristics were similar by study arm but differed across sites. Intervention participants had a lower mean DCS score (12.3 DDA vs 15.2 control; adjusted mean ratio [AMR] 0.76, 95%CI 0.61-0.95; p = 0.017). Intervention participants had higher mean knowledge scores (88.9 DDA vs. 79.9 control; OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.01-1.27, p = 0.038); there was no difference between groups in self-efficacy scores. The DDA had high acceptability; 86.9% of those who viewed it said they would recommend it to others in similar situations.ConclusionsThe online Healthwise® DDA decreased decision conflict and increased knowledge in this sample of English-speaking, older adults without significant cognitive impairment, although most chose to continue driving. Use of such resources in clinical or community settings may support older adults as they transition from driving to other forms of mobility.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier "Advancing Understanding of Transportation Options (AUTO)" NCT04141891.
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Project description:Shared autonomous vehicle services (i. e., automated shuttles, AS) are being deployed globally and may improve older adults (>65 years old) mobility, independence, and participation in the community. However, AS must be user friendly and provide safety benefits if older drivers are to accept and adopt this technology. Current potential barriers to their acceptance of AS include a lack of trust in the systems and hesitation to adopt emerging technology. Technology readiness, perceived ease of use, perceived barriers, and intention to use the technology, are particularly important constructs to consider in older adults' acceptance and adoption practices of AS. Likewise, person factors, i.e., age, life space mobility, driving habits, and cognition predict driving safety among older drivers. However, we are not sure if and how these factors may also predict older adults' intention to use the AS. In the current study, we examined responses from 104 older drivers (M age = 74.3, SD age = 5.9) who completed the Automated Vehicle User Perception Survey (AVUPS) before and after riding in an on-road automated shuttle (EasyMile EZ10). The study participants also provided information through the Technology Readiness Index, Technology Acceptance Measure, Life Space Questionnaire, Driving Habits Questionnaire, Trail-making Test Part A and Part B (TMT A and TMT B). Older drivers' age, cognitive scores (i.e., TMT B), driving habits (i.e., crashes and/or citations, exposure, and difficulty of driving) and life space (i.e., how far older adults venture from their primary dwelling) were entered into four models to predict their acceptance of AVs-operationalized according to the subscales (i.e., intention to use, perceived barriers, and well-being) and the total acceptance score of the AVUPS. Next, a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) elucidated the relationships between, technology readiness, perceived ease of use, barriers to AV acceptance, life space, crashes and/or citations, driving exposure, driving difficulty, cognition, and intention to use AS. The regression models indicated that neither age nor cognition (TMT B) significantly predicted older drivers' perceptions of AVs; but their self-reported driving difficulty (p = 0.019) predicted their intention to use AVs: R 2 = 6.18%, F (2,101) = 4.554, p = 0.040. Therefore, intention to use was the dependent variable in the subsequent PLS-SEM. Findings from the PLS-SEM (R 2 = 0.467) indicated the only statistically significant predictors of intention to use were technology readiness (β = 0.247, CI = 0.087-0.411) and barriers to AV acceptance (β = -0.504, CI = 0.285-0.692). These novel findings provide evidence suggesting that technology readiness and barriers must be better understood if older drivers are to accept and adopt AS.
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