Title

Older drivers' aberrant driving behaviour, impaired activity, and health as reasons for self-imposed driving limitations

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

3-2002

Subject Area

Location - Europe, Population - Ageing in place, Population - Driving cessation, Population - Elderly, Population - Gender, Population - Older driver, Population - Retired drivers

Abstract

The present study used a mail survey addressed to Swedish drivers aged between 55 and 92 years (n=939) to study the relationship between driving exposure, health, and four types of self-reported aberrant driving behaviour as measured with a Swedish version of the driver behaviour questionnaire. Age and gender were the most important predictors of the tendency to sometimes avoid driving. However, even after accounting for age and gender, reports of own erroneous driving behaviour because of inattention (e.g., failure to notice a signal) and inexperience errors (viz., handling the car), as well as impaired health, were related to self-imposed driving limitations, whereas the violations and mistakes factors were not. Problems with activities of daily living were only marginally associated with self-imposed driving limitations, mediated through inattention and inexperience errors. The results support the notion that older drivers adjust their driving in response to their health and to the problems they experience while driving.

Rights

Permission to publish abstract given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour Home Page: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13698478