As a society we have the responsibility of continuing to meet the transportation needs of a growing population of older adults. Simultaneously, we must recognize that driving is the preferred mode of travel among older citizens, and that the continuing ability to drive provides the mobility that many older adults rely on to maintain their independence. Many older Americans are subject to age-related declines in the abilities needed to allow them to live independently. In particular, sensory and cognitive functions may deteriorate in later adulthood, and these deficits may contribute to a decline in the ability to carry out everyday activities. The cost of loss of independence places financial burdens on older adults themselves, their families, and society as a whole. While there is a growing body of science aimed at understanding the bases for these age-related declines, until recently little work has been done to develop the interventions needed to prevent, delay, or reverse disabilities which affect the functional capacity of older adults. One function, which is crucial to maintaining independence for many older adults, and which is affected by multiple sensory and cognitive factors, is driving. Given that driving helps to maintain social contact, independent functioning, and a satisfying quality of life, and that older adults as a group will experience behavioral and biological changes which make mobility (and specifically driving), more difficult in later life, the focus of the present research is to evaluate a behavioral intervention designed to enhance/maintain the underlying sensory/cognitive functions required for safe driving. Driving is the preferred mode of travel in America, and older adults in particular rely on the automobile for mobility and independence. Recently, much research has emphasized understanding the functional capabilities of the older driver since as a group they have more traffic convictions and accidents, and incur more fatalities per mile driven than any other adult age group. One consistent finding in this research, is the extremely wide range of individual differences in older driver capability. While the stereotype of the impaired older driver may be true for some individuals, the majority of older adults have excellent driving skills. Until fairly recently, however, little has been known about which behavioral and biomedical changes differentiate excellent older drivers from those experiencing a decline in driving ability. Recent retrospective studies have indicated that a measure of visual attention, the Useful Field of View (UFOV), is particularly promising as a functional measure of driving risk. Furthermore, research has shown that the UFOV can be expanded with training. These findings have implications for developing interventions to aid in maintaining the skills needed to drive safely; thereby prolonging mobility into older age.
The aim of the proposed research is twofold: (1) to use perceptual/cognitive theory, coupled with prior research findings, to validate functional tests of competence for driving, and (2) to use training research/theory, coupled with prior training research findings, to evaluate the effects of improved competence in these critical skills on subsequent crash frequencies.
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