The Mature Driver: Safety and Mobility Issues  Naomi G Rotter New Jersey Institute of Technology Claire McKnight City College of New York Presentation to: NJDOT June 30, 2000

OBJECTIVES To build a knowledge base regarding the extent to which aging drivers create a safety threat in New Jersey To collate, organize, and assess existing information about mature drivers driving behavior, including: their functional abilities, which disabilities significantly diminish their ability to drive, their ability to self- evaluate those abilities and voluntary restriction and cessation of driving among this group. To document and analyze the practices and experiences of DMVs in the United States

ACTIVITIES Task I. Literature Review –Product: Written report on the literature, summarizing the findings under each of the items above and identifying Task II. Archive search and data analysis –Product: A report summarizing the data, methodology, and findings of this task. Task III. Survey of DMVs –Product: A written report summarizing the practices by state with a summary of ideas and information determined to be the most useful to New Jersey. Task IV. Synthesis and Final Report

Useful URLs NCSA (National Center for Statistics and Analysis) provides analytical and statistical support to NHTSA and the traffic safety community, through data collection, analysis, and crash investigation activities. / - First and largest classroom driver improvement course specially designed for motorists age 50 and older. It is intended to help older drivers improve their skills while teaching them to avoid accidents and traffic violations. - Nine step approach of George Mason University to conduct study on mature driver Client: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - Bureau of Transportation Statistics - Fatality analysis reporting system

A Framework for the Literature Search Safe Driving Related Abilities –Visual: About 90% of information needed for driving is visual. Declines occur from about age 45 in both static and dynamic visual acuity, in contrast sensitivity, dark adaptation, and increases in glare sensitivity. Peripheral vision is also reduced.

Safe Driving Related Abilities, continued Cognitive: Declines occur in both selective and divided attention, distraction increases, information processing time and reaction time slows. Cognitive maps deteriorate and way-finding skills diminish.

Safe Driving Related Abilities, continued Psychomotor abilities: –Reaction slows due to physical effects of aging as well as cognitive changes –Health problems such as arthritis can interfere with operating a vehicle

Safe Driving Related Abilities, continued Health factors –Medications: Psychoactive drugs (tranquilizers, mood elevators, sleeping pills, etc.) effect CNS which in turn effects sensation, movement & thinking. Anithypertensives show mixed results on crash risk

Safe Driving Related Abilities, continued Medical Conditions –Heart disease –Syncope –Stroke –Diabetes –Alzheimer’s/Dementia

A Framework for the Literature Search, Cont. Assessing abilities –AAA Drivers 55 Plus –AARP Older Driver Skill Assessment –Safe Drive –On road and simulator tests –Automated psychophysical test

A Framework for the Literature Search, Cont Skill enhancement –55 alive/Mature Driving –Safe Driving for mature operators –Coaching Mature Drivers/

A Framework for the Literature Search, Cont Self-monitoring State Licensing policies

Virginia DMV Older Driver Study Virginia crash data showed no clear pattern of increased injuries or fatalities among older drivers from Survey of 51 DMVs including Washington, DC, 42 responded –20 % more frequent renewal for older drivers –12 % renewal tests vary by age

Archive Search and Data Analysis Progress Contacted sources of data for accidents and violations –NJDMV –National Highway Traffic Safety Administration –Division of Highway and Traffic Safety –NJ Manufacturers Insurance Company

Data Sought Trends on numbers of older drivers Crash and fatality trends –Coding information: Age, Sex, Speeding related, Alcohol/drug related, Injury severity, Location, Weather, Weekday, Time –Violations trends: Age and types –Trends in Motor vehicle registrations

Future tasks Continued location and obtaining data pertaining to accidents and violations Analysis and interpretation of data Survey of state DMVs regarding actual or planned programs for increasing safety of senior drivers Final report