Prolonging safe Driving for Older Drivers

Dr Charles MusselwhiteSenior Research Fellow

Centre for Transport and SocietyUniversity of the West of England

General Road Accident General Road Accident StatisticsStatistics

• Road Traffic Deaths in GB 3,221 (DfT, 2004) • Reported Casualties in GB 280,840 (DfT, 2004)• Road Traffic Deaths 8 per 100,000 population

(13 in Netherlands and 21 in France)• Road Traffic Deaths 1.1 per 100million KM driven

per year (1.3 in Netherlands and 2.3 in France).• Over past 25 years, although traffic is increasing

(+27%), deaths are decreasing (-33%).• 55% of cars travel over 70mph on motorways• 69% of cars travel over speed limit in built up

areas.

Older People Statistics• Population of older people in UK is increasing in

number and in % of overall age groups.• At present 20% of UK population is over 60• Estimated that this is likely to be 30% by 2031• More active age group than ever before & therefore

more mobile• 200% increase in male drivers over 65 and 600%

increase in female drivers over 65 in past 30 years• 80-89 year old age group 44% of men and 11% of

women hold a full driving licence• Estimated that this will rise to 65% of men and 35% of

women over the next 15 years

Percentage of population who are full licence holders (60-69 years)

0

20

40

60

80

100

1975-6

1985-6

1989-91

1993-95

1996-98

Year

%

male

female

Percentage of population who are full licence holders (70 years plus)

0

20

40

60

80

100

1975-6

1985-6

1989-91

1993-95

1996-98

Year

%male

female

Giving Up the Driving Task

• Why prolong driving?• Control over environment• Increasing level of services moving out of

town centres and residential zones• Driving increases self-confidence, mastery

and self-esteem and feelings of autonomy, protection and prestige (Ellaway, et al., 2003).

• Giving up driving is associated with an increase in depressive symptoms (Ra et al)

Using a Car

• But many older people have to or feel they have to give up driving.

• Do they have to? What can be done to allow them to drive safer and prolong their driving ability?

• Need to examine safety and ease of use

Giving Up the Driving Task

• Self-diagnosis– Awareness

• Family Pressure

• Doctors

How Safe are Older Drivers?

• Risk of being killed or suffering serious injury is between 2 and 5 times greater than that of a younger person (DfT, 1998)

• Based on all severities 60 years + age group do not have any more accidents than 30-59 year olds and have less than 17-29 year olds.

• But…over 60s drive less miles, so taking into account miles driven, there is a slight increase for over 60s age group, which increases for 70+ age group and again for over 80s age group.

Types of Accident

• Occurs by an additional external factor such as navigating a novel route or being distacted by the radio, passengers or something unusual on the roadside.

• 60-99 year old age group more likely to have accidents at junctions (DOT, 1991; DfT, 1998; Hakaimes-Blomqvist, 1988)

• Particularly junctions with no traffic control (Maycock et al., 1991)

Driving Behaviour of Older Drivers

• Schlag (1993) – compared 60-82 year olds with 40-50 year olds and found older drivers:– Were slower on motorways– Took longer and were more hesitant at lane

changing on motorways resulting in late risky merging

– Drove in a more uniform style with less acceleration and braking on country roads

– Made more incorrect actions on inner-city roads– Approached junctions slower

Reasons for Increase in Accidents

• Physiological Physiological including deterioration of eye-sight, including problems with distance vision, sensitivity to glare, binocular depth perception and colour sensitivity, increased hearing problems and restricted physical mobility such as stiffer joints and muscles

• Cognitive Cognitive an increase in problems with working memory and a decrease in information processing capacity and the capability to make critical decisions under time pressure

(DfT, 2001; Lee, Lee, Cameron and Li-Tsang, 2003).

Reasons for Increase in Accidents

• PsychologicalPsychological– Lack of confidence– Anxiety– Social norms– Stereotypes– Labelling

Is Technology the Answer?

• Can technology help prolongprolong safesafe driving behaviour amongst older adults?

• Previous research into technology and car driving tends to treat drivers as a homogenous group.

• Therefore older driver needs and attitudes ignored

HANDBRAKE HANDBRAKE ATTACHMENTSATTACHMENTS

Mechanical attachments Mechanical attachments can be fitted to make the can be fitted to make the handbrake easier to pull handbrake easier to pull on (£65+). Handbrakes can on (£65+). Handbrakes can be replaced with an be replaced with an electronic push button electronic push button system (£450-£700 from system (£450-£700 from adaptation firms).adaptation firms).

AUTOMATIC GEARSAUTOMATIC GEARS

PEDAL PEDAL ADJUSTMENTSADJUSTMENTS

Simple pedal Simple pedal adjustments can help adjustments can help with ease of use such with ease of use such as:as:

Pedal extendersPedal extenders

Floor RaisersFloor Raisers

SPINNERSSPINNERS

Small pods that Small pods that can be mounted can be mounted to the steering to the steering wheel to allow for wheel to allow for easier turningeasier turning

POWER POWER STEERINGSTEERING

•EASIFUEL EASIFUEL holds holds open the trigger open the trigger on petrol pumps on petrol pumps – particularly – particularly useful if you have useful if you have limited dexterity limited dexterity or the use of only or the use of only one hand.one hand.

SEAT SEAT ADJUSTMENTSADJUSTMENTS

Electronic Electronic adjustment. 360 adjustment. 360 degree swivel. Soft degree swivel. Soft cushionscushions

INDICATOR INDICATOR STALK STALK ADAPTATIONSADAPTATIONS

Extensions, Extensions, infrared, voice infrared, voice activated activated versionsversions•CLUTCHCLUTCH

LESS LESS GEAR GEAR CHANGECHANGE

Simple TechnologySimple TechnologyPhysiological & Cognitive Physiological & Cognitive

HelpHelp• Infrastructure Based

– Traffic Calming

• Car Based– Head Up Displays– Parking Displays– Night Vision

• Car and Infrastructure Based– Dynamic Head Up Displays– Navigational Aids

Physiological & Cognitive Physiological & Cognitive HelpHelp

Advanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology• Infrastructure Based

– e.g. Intelligent Road Signs, VMS.

• Car Based– Collision Warning System– e.g. Adaptive Cruise Control

• Car and Infrastructure Based– e.g. Intelligent Speed Adaptation– Automated Highway Systems

Prolonging Safe Driving Prolonging Safe Driving ProjectProjectTo critically examine whether new technology

advances in Advanced Control and Safety Systems have the capacity to aid driver safety

and prolong driving for older drivers in the United Kingdom• 20 to 30 participants

• Emergent semi structured interviews to address needs– Abstraction– Apprenticing– Scenario Modelling

• Focus Groups to develop technology– Introduce and discuss technologies

• Electronic Delphi Technique– To test developed technologies on a panel of experts

Early FindingsMeaning of having a car

Control

Social

Accessing Services

It is my lifeline to the outside world

Without it I’d be trapped

I don’t use it much…but it is there just in

case…

How else would I get to the shops

I need it to visit my friends

I couldn’t get to the hospital without it…I’d probably die

Early Findings

Physiological Barriers

Cognitive Barriers

Psychological Barriers

I can’t see as well as I used to

When it gets dark that’s when I have a problem

Some junctions are so busy, there’s so much going on I

don’t know what to do

I’m fine when things are calm

and quiet

I just don’t feel I have the confidence anymore

Well that’s it isn’t it? I’m old and I drive like an old

person, I’m probably best of off the road.

• BBSRC and EPSRC Research Council Funding• 13 awards given in 3 areas

• Life at home• Ageing muscles, tissues and cells• Getting out and about (Prof. Richard Neale, Glamorgan; Dr.

Greg Marsden, Leeds; Mike Bradley, Middlesex)

• Developing Capacity in Ageing Research– Access to a Mentor

• Associate Member to Centre for Research on Ageing, Southampton University

– Access to Workshops• 23rd January 2006 - EDeAN Workshop on ethics • 22nd February 2006 – Design for older people• 27th October 2006 (to be held at University of Leeds, UK) –

Transport and Older People

ReferencesDfT (2001). Older Drivers: A literature review. London: Department for Transport. Accessed online at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_504602.hcsp . Last accessed 8th March 2005.

Ellaway, A., Macintyre, S., Hiscock, R. and Kearns, A. (2003). In the driving seat: psychosocial benefits from private motor vehicle transport compared to public transport. Transportation Research Part F. 6: 217-231.

Howarth, I. (1993). Effective Design: ensuring human factors in design procedures, In A. H. Parker and S. Franzen (eds.). Driving Future Vehicles, pp311-320, London: Taylor and Francis.

Lee, H. C., Lee, A. H., Cameron, D., Li-Tsang, C. (2003). Using a driving simulator to identify older drivers at inflated risk of motor vehicle crashes. Journal of Safety Research. 34(4): 453-459.

Monterde i Bort, H. (2004). Factorial structure of recklessness: To what extent are older drivers different? Journal of Safety Research. 35(3): 329-335

Musselwhite, C.B.A. (2004). Driver Attitudes, Behaviour and Speed Management Strategies. University of Southampton, PhD thesis.

Oxley, P. and Mitchell, K. (1995). Elderly and disabled drivers telematics (EDDIT) DRIVE II Project V2031

Rumar, K. (1986). Age and Road User Behaviour. 4th Nordic Congress of Traffic Medicine.

Van Wolffelar, P., Brouwer, W. and Rothengatter, T. (1990). Divided Attention in RTI tasks for Elderly Drivers. EC DRIVE programme, Project V1006, Deliverable 2, Traffic Research Centre, University of Groningen.

Thanks for Listening

Further information

Dr Charles Musselwhite

Senior Research Fellow

Centre for Transport and Society

University of West of England

Charles.Musselwhite@uwe.ac.uk

0117 32 83010

www.transport.uwe.ac.uk

www.sparc.ac.uk

www.ricability.org.uk/index.htm