Aging and the detection of imminent collisions under simulated fog conditions

The present study examined age-related differences in collision detection performance when contrast of the driving scene was reduced by simulated fog. Older and younger drivers were presented with a collision detection scenario in a simulator in which an object moved at a constant speed on a linear trajectory towards the driver. Drivers were shown part of the motion path of an approaching object that would eventually either collide with or pass by the driver and were required to determine whether or not the object would collide with the driver. Driver motion was either stationary or moving along a linear path down the roadway. A no fog condition and three different levels of fog were examined. Detection performance decreased when dense fog was simulated for older but not for younger observers. An age-related decrement was also found with shorter display durations (longer time to contact). When the vehicle was moving decrements in performance were observed for both younger and older drivers. These results suggest that under inclement weather conditions with reduced visibility, such as fog, older drivers may have an increased crash risk due to a decreased ability to detect impending collision events.