Introduction: The oldest olds (aged 85 and over) are the fastest-growing age segment. However, our understanding of their mobility is limited. To address this gap, we invited 19 U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelf-driving vehicles will affect the future of transportation, but factors that underlie perception and acceptance of self-driving cars are yet unclear. Research on feelings as information and the affect heuristic has suggested that feelings are an important source of information, especially in situations of complexity and uncertainty. In this study (N = 1,484), we investigated how feelings related to traditional driving affect risk perception, benefit perception, and trust related to self-driving cars as well as people's acceptance of the technology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo explore the effects of membership in a fitness program for older adults on social isolation, loneliness, and health. Using survey responses from SilverSneakers members and matched nonmembers, regression path analysis was used to examine the influence of SilverSneakers membership on physical activity, social isolation, loneliness, and health, and the interrelationships among these concepts. : SilverSneakers membership directly increased physical activity and self-rated health, directly decreased social isolation, and indirectly decreased loneliness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe apparently higher crash risk among individuals who use cell phones while driving may be due both to the direct interference of cell phone use with the driving task and tendencies to engage in risky driving behaviors independent of cell phone use. Measurements of actual highway driving performance, self-reported aberrant driving behaviors as measured by the Manchester Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), and attitudes toward speeding, passing behaviors and relative concern about being involved in a crash were assessed. Individuals who reported frequently using cell phones while driving were found to drive faster, change lanes more frequently, spend more time in the left lane, and engage in more instances of hard braking and high acceleration events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFYoung adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at higher risk for being involved in automobile crashes. Although driving simulators have been used to identify and understand underlying behaviors, prior research has focused largely on single-task, non-distracted driving. However, in-vehicle infotainment and communications systems often vie for a driver's attention, potentially increasing the risk of collision.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData from on-road and simulation studies were compared to assess the validity of measures generated in the simulator. In the on-road study, driver interaction with three manual address entry methods (keypad, touch screen and rotational controller) was assessed in an instrumented vehicle to evaluate relative usability and safety implications. A separate group of participants drove a similar protocol in a medium fidelity, fixed-base driving simulator to assess the extent to which simulator measures mirrored those obtained in the field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblem: This research examines older drivers and how they rationalize and cope with their own changing psychological and physical functioning vis-à-vis self-regulation and driving.
Method: A national survey was mailed to a sample of drivers over the age of 50. An overall response rate of 53.
Deciding when an individual with dementia must reduce or stop driving can be a stressful issue for family caregivers. The purpose of this study was to develop a group intervention to assist these caregivers with driving issues and to provide a preliminary evaluation of the comparative effectiveness of this At the Crossroads intervention. Participants were randomized to one of three arms: (1) active intervention (four 2-hour manualized educational/support group meetings; n = 31); (2) written materials only (participants received written materials after a pretest; n = 23); and (3)control (participants received written materials after a posttest; n = 12).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblem: The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of age and health on patterns of driving and self-regulation among older adults who still drive.
Method: This analysis presents the results of a nationwide survey of drivers who are 50+(N=3,824, 53.11% response rate), focusing on questions about the impact of their self-reported health on attitudes toward and self-regulation of driving.
The automobile is essential for many older adults to fulfill their daily needs, especially since many live where they lack access to public transit or other acceptable modes of transportation. Increased self-regulation is one way older drivers continue to drive safely and maintain mobility. This research considers whether self-regulation attitudes and patterns differ by gender.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblem: Age and gender are frequently controlled for in studies of driving performance, but the effects of time of day or circadian cycles on performance are often not considered. Previous research on time of day effects of simulated driving is contradictory and provides little guidance for understanding the impact of these variables on results.
Methods: Using driving simulator data from 79 subjects ages 18 to 65, this paper focuses on the impact of age, gender, and time of day on the simulated driving performance of subjects who self-selected the time of participation.
Objective: This study compares collision involvement between adult drivers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and control participants in a simulation experiment designed to enhance the effects of fatigue. Because the effects of ADHD include difficulties in maintaining attention, drivers with ADHD were hypothesized to be more susceptible to the effects of fatigue while driving.
Methods: Data are drawn from a validated driving simulation study, portions of which were focused on enhancing the effects of fatigue.
In this article, we use self-reported driving behaviors from a written questionnaire to assess the measurement validity of data derived from a driving simulation. The issue of validity concerns the extent to which measures from the experimental context map onto constructs of interest. Following a description of the experimental methods and setting, an argument for the face validity of the data is advanced.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to an increased number of driving citations, especially for speeding and a four-fold increase in accident risk. Using three factors--errors, lapses and violations--found in prior work, we ran regression analyses to explore the impact of ADHD status, gender and age on error, lapse and violation report scores. The results indicate that ADHD status is positively and significantly related to error, lapse and violation scores.
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