PERCEPTURAL/COGNITIVE SKILLS AND DRIVING: EFFECTS OF BRAIN DAMAGE

This study investigated the relation of perceptual/cognitive skills and driving. The subjects included 23 persons with brain damage, 8 persons with spinal-cord damage, and 10 able-bodied controls. Each subject was evaluated using a battery of perceptual and cognitive tests, a set of driving tasks in a parking lot, and actual in-traffic driving. The main findings are as follows: (a) Driving performance was significantly correlated with perceptual and cognitive skills. The highest correlations were obtained for Picture Completion Test (r = .71,), Picture Arrangement Test (r = .58), and Motor Free Visual Perception Test (r = .57). (2) The persons with brain damage performed significantly worse than the control subjects or people with spinal-cord damage on a range of perceptual and cognitive tests. (3) The persons with brain damage exhibited impaired driving performance in relation to the control subjects or people with spinal-cord damage. (4) The correlation between, a subjective evaluation of driving potential by a driver trainer and an evaluation of selected driving actions proved to be rather high (r = .81). (5) The obtained high correlations between several perceptual/cognitive tests and driving suggest that these tests (if properly validated) could be used in a screening battery to detect potentially serious driving-related problems. (6) Statistical procedures indicate that the data are consistent with the following hypothesis: Brain damage affects perceptual and cognitive skills (Including those evaluated by Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Picture Completion, and Picture Arrangement), which in turn affect driving performance. (A)

• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Safety Research Institute

  Huron Parkway and Baxter Road
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48109
• Authors:
  • Sivak, M
  • Olson, P L
  • Kewman, D G
  • Won, H
• Publication Date: 1980-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 61 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brain; Driver performance; Drivers; Perception; Personnel performance; Statistical analysis; Visual perception
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver perception
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00319846
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Report/Paper Numbers: UM-HSRI-80-3
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 6 1981 12:00AM