Cognitive functioning differentially predicts different dimensions of older drivers' on-road safety
Nazan Aksan1, Steve W Anderson1, Jeffrey Dawson2
1Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Accident; Analysis and Prevention
|December 20, 2014
Summary
Cognitive deficits impact older drivers' safety. Specific cognitive domains like memory and processing speed predict distinct driving errors, informing safety assessments for aging drivers.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Traffic Safety
Background:
- Understanding cognitive factors affecting older driver safety is crucial.
- Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's can impact driving abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how specific cognitive domain deficits contribute to older drivers' safety risks.
- To determine if different cognitive functions predict distinct on-road driving errors.
Main Methods:
- 148 drivers over 70 with and without Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) were assessed.
- Evaluations included on-road driving tests and cognitive assessments (visuospatial, processing speed, memory, executive function).
- Driving safety was measured via navigation, on-task errors, and baseline errors.
Main Results:
- Drivers with AD and PD performed worse than healthy aging drivers on all driving measures.
- Memory and set-shifting predicted navigation task performance.
- Processing speed predicted on-task safety errors, while visuospatial construction predicted baseline errors.
Conclusions:
- Specific cognitive domains predict distinct aspects of older driver safety.
- Comprehensive cognitive assessments are recommended for evaluating older driver fitness.
- Navigation performance may be a key indicator for licensing decisions.
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