Older drivers and rapid deceleration events: Salisbury Eye Evaluation Driving Study.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Traffic Safety
• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Rapid deceleration events (RDEs) in driving may indicate increased crash risk.
• Understanding factors associated with RDEs in older drivers is crucial for road safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between demographic, vision, and cognitive variables and RDEs in older drivers.
• To identify predictors of rapid deceleration episodes during normal driving.

Main Methods:

• 1425 older drivers (67-87 years) were monitored for five days using a driving monitoring system (DMS).
• Vision tests included visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual fields, and attentional visual fields.
• Cognitive function was assessed for executive function, attention, psychomotor speed, and visual search.

Main Results:

• 30% of older drivers experienced at least one RDE; 1/3 of those had four or more.
• Drivers with RDEs tended to have better psychomotor speed and visual search scores.
• Faster brake reaction time, higher average speed, and maximum speed per segment were associated with fewer RDEs.

Conclusions:

• Contrary to the hypothesis, older drivers with RDEs demonstrated better cognitive and visual performance.
• Factors such as driving speed and cognitive fitness may influence the occurrence of rapid decelerations in older drivers.