TRAFFIC ACCIDENT PROBLEMS AND EXPOSURE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AGING DRIVER
IN ORDER TO DEFINE THE CONTENT OF A DRIVING TRAINING COURSE FOR THE AGING DRIVER, AN ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF (1) THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIS ACTUAL AND PERCEIVED DRIVING PROBLEMS AS MEASURED BY ACCIDENT DATA FROM THE STATES OF CALIFORNIA (9500 URBAN AND 9570 RURAL 1967 ACCIDENTS) AND VIRGINIA (48,285 URBAN AND 43,349 RURAL 1967 ACCIDENTS) AND (2) RESPONSES TO 3633 QUESTIONNAIRES RELATED TO DRIVING FAULTS AND TROUBLESOME DRIVING OPERATIONS. EXPOSURE DATA ON THE FREQUENCY OF DRIVING IN GENERAL, DURING THE RUSH HOUR, DURING WINTER, AFTER DARK, AND ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROADS REVEALED THAT THE AGING DRIVER POPULATION IS HETEROGENEOUS WITH REGARD TO DRIVING EXPERIENCE. THREE GROUPS OF DRIVERS, DIFFERING IN FREQUENCY OF EXPOSURE TO RELATIVELY DIFFICULT DRIVING SITUATIONS, ARE (A) MALE DRIVERS UNDER 65--HIGH FREQUENCY, (B) MALE DRIVERS 65 AND OVER AND FEMALE DRIVERS UNDER 65--MODERATE FREQUENCY, (C) FEMALE DRIVERS 65 AND OVER--LOW FREQUENCY. MANY OF THE AGING DRIVER'S ACCIDENT PROBLEMS INVOLVE HIS INTERACTION WITH TRAFFIC IN SITUATIONS WHERE HIS ADAPTIVE REACTIONS MUST SPEED UP TO THE RATE OF THE REST OF THE DRIVER POPULATION. EFFORTS AT EDUCATING THE AGING DRIVER SHOULD BE BASED, AT LEAST IN PART, ON BOTH HIS PERCEPTION OF PROBLEMS AND THE ACCIDENT-RELATED VIOLATION PROBLEMS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY ACUTE FOR HIS AGE GROUP. EDUCATION OF THE AGING DRIVER SHOULD AIM AT REDUCING THE NEED FOR ADAPTIVE REACTIONS THAT REQUIRE A SERIES OF RAPID JUDGMENTS AND MANEUVERS. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- Vol 26, No 2, PP 224-230, FIGS, TABS, REFS
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Corporate Authors:
N/A
, United States -
Authors:
- Planek, T W
- Fowler, R C
- Publication Date: 1971-4
Media Info
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Serial:
- Gerontology Journal
- Publisher: N/A
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Aged; Driver training; Drivers; Human characteristics; Perception; Psychological adaptation; Reaction time
- Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics; Driver reaction; Violations
- Old TRIS Terms: Aging
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00223729
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Apr 10 2003 12:00AM