Longitudinal Comparison of the Impact of Cognitive Changes on Subjective Behavioral Changes in Older Drivers

Overview & Synopsis

This study describes a longitudinal investigation into the relationships between changes in perceptual and cognitive functions and subjective changes in driving behavior, including variations in driving style, driving workload sensitivity and driving compensatory behavior. Data from 106 older drivers, collected one year and four years later, was used to develop a path analysis model of visual and cognitive functions and questionnaires on usual driving behaviors. The path analysis model, which has excellent goodness-of-fit indices, suggests that, after four years, 'avoiding driving in bad conditions' is significantly influenced by 'useful field of vision' and 'attentional switching', while 'workload sensitivity to disturbance of driving pace' is influenced by 'attentional switching'. These results imply that older drivers, who have a narrower useful field of vision and/or reduced attentional switching ability due to ageing, require driving assistance that navigates roads with lower task demands and at their own pace.