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home / centre for automotive safety research / Publications / List / Details Publication Details| Title | Self regulation of driving and its relationship to driving ability among older adults | | Authors | Baldock MRJ, Mathias JL, McLean AJ, Berndt A | | Year | 2004 | | Type | Conference Paper | | Abstract | Although it is known that older drivers limit their driving, it is not known whether this self-regulation is related to actual driving ability. A sample of 104 older drivers, aged between 60 and 92, completed a questionnaire about driving habits and attitudes. Ninety of these drivers also completed a structured on-road driving test. The driving habits questionnaire provided measures of perceived driving ability, confidence in difficult driving situations, driving exposure, avoidance of difficult driving situations, ease of avoiding difficult situations, and perceived barriers to restriction of driving. The measure of avoidance of difficult driving situations was used as an index of self-regulation. The on-road driving test was a standard assessment procedure used to determine fitness to drive. Of the 90 participants who completed the driving assessment, 68 passed the test, eight passed but were recommended to have driving lessons and 14 failed. Driving test scores for the study were based on the number of errors committed in the driving tests, with weightings given according to the seriousness of the errors. The most commonly avoided difficult driving situations were parallel parking and driving at night in the rain, while the least avoided situation was driving alone. Poorer performance on the driving test was not strongly related to overall avoidance of difficult driving situations. Stronger relationships were found between driving ability and avoidance of specific difficult driving situations. These specific driving situations were the ones in which the drivers had low confidence and that the drivers were most able to avoid if they wished to. These results may reflect a tendency for those with lower driving ability to lose confidence in their driving, and begin to avoid difficult driving situations. However, there are a number of situations that drivers find difficult to avoid. | | ISBN | 07307 24921 | | Conference Name | Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference | | Conference Abbreviation | RSR | | Conference Location | Perth, Australia | | Conference Date | 14-16 November 2004 | | Page Count | 9 |
| Reference | | Baldock MRJ, Mathias JL, McLean AJ, Berndt A (2004). Self regulation of driving and its relationship to driving ability among older adults. Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, Perth, Australia, 14-16 November 2004. |
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