Non-illness-related factors contributing to traffic safety in older drivers: a literature review.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Older drivers are at increased risk of becoming involved in car crashes. Contrary to well-studied illness-related factors contributing to crash risk, the non-illness-related factors that can influence safety of older drivers are underresearched.

Methods: Here, the authors review the literature on non-illness-related factors influencing driving in people over age 60.

Age-dependent visual exploration during simulated day- and night driving on a motorway: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Central and peripheral vision is needed for object detection. Previous research has shown that visual target detection is affected by age. In addition, light conditions also influence visual exploration.

Development of a novel driving behavior adaptations questionnaire.

Background: Driving a car requires adapting one's behavior to current task demands taking into account one's capacities. With increasing age, driving-relevant cognitive performance may decrease, creating a need for risk-reducing behavioral adaptations. Three different kinds of behavioral adaptations are known: selection, optimization, and compensation.

Effects of age and eccentricity on visual target detection.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of aging and target eccentricity on a visual search task comprising 30 images of everyday life projected into a hemisphere, realizing a ±90° visual field. The task performed binocularly allowed participants to freely move their eyes to scan images for an appearing target or distractor stimulus (presented at 10°; 30°, and 50° eccentricity). The distractor stimulus required no response, while the target stimulus required acknowledgment by pressing the response button.

A novel computer test to assess driving-relevant cognitive functions--a pilot study.

Background: The assessment of driving-relevant cognitive functions in older drivers is a difficult challenge as there is no clear-cut dividing line between normal cognition and impaired cognition and not all cognitive functions are equally important for driving.

Methods: To support decision makers, the Bern Cognitive Screening Test (BCST) for older drivers was designed. It is a computer-assisted test battery assessing visuo-spatial attention, executive functions, eye-hand coordination, distance judgment, and speed regulation.

Can a novel web-based computer test predict poor simulated driving performance? a pilot study with healthy and cognitive-impaired participants.

Background: Driving a car is a complex instrumental activity of daily living and driving performance is very sensitive to cognitive impairment. The assessment of driving-relevant cognition in older drivers is challenging and requires reliable and valid tests with good sensitivity and specificity to predict safe driving. Driving simulators can be used to test fitness to drive.