Human factors researchers have played a large role in identifying key attributes of aging drivers that might have an impact on performance. Occupational therapists continue to apply a variety of older-driver assessment techniques, ranging from clinical tests to on-the road tests. We posit that, by joining efforts, these two disciplines can bridge the gap between scientific findings and operational validation.
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and specifically the Technical Group on Aging has an objective, even an obligation, to assist these practitioners. By adding human factors methods to current or proposed assessments, practitioners may be able to more objectively and accurately determine driving ability. In turn, by continuing to improve assessment techniques, driver training, and education, and by focusing research, the desires and needs of drivers can be more easily met. As our nation demands flexible mobility, more and more people are depending on the automobile as their main mode of transportation. Society as a whole will benefit, as will drivers of all ages and abilities as more integrated and effective assessment methods are devised.
This panel presents perspectives on elderly driver assessment from both the human factors and
occupational therapy disciplines. The main objective of this panel is to address the question, "How can
human factors and occupational therapy technology, applications, and methodology assist practitioners in
designing valid tests for assessing older (and other specialized groups of) drivers?"
To date, the human factors community has contributed little towards solving the practical problems of how to evaluate and license elderly drivers. To be sure, much research has been devoted to the assessment of various sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities, and their relationship to driver age, performance and accident rates. However, the reliance on accident rates as dependent measures of driver performance, the focus on predicting age group differences rather than individual differences, and the study of various driving-related skills as independent performance predictors, are but a few of the methods which severely constrain the application of this research to the concerns of the evaluation and licensing community. Perhaps the most crucial shortcoming lies in our general approach to understanding the complexity and diversity of drivers, the act of driving, and the driving environment.
In this presentation, I argue for the need to understand the personal and cultural process of driving. For
example, it is now recognized that a drivers' awareness of his or her driving-relevant abilities, and the
resultant self-regulation of his or her driving behavior (e.g., reduced driving in poor weather, congested traffic,
and at nighttime) are as important to predicting accident risk as the absolute level of the abilities in question.
Yet beyond the study of "what" self-regulating behaviors elderly drivers engage in, efforts must be made to
learn "why" and "how" such behaviors evolve. Thus, it is argued that only by studying the natural evolution
of elderly drivers, will we gain the proper knowledge and context for understanding their current behaviors
and attitudes.
The ability to pay attention is something most adults take for granted. It is only under conditions of stress, fatigue, or when bombarded with information that the limits of attentional capacity become apparent. Attentionally demanding activities occur in many settings including transportation, military, industry, and sports. Attentional skills vary, and these individual differences can result in safety issues in areas such as competency for driving or operating complex machinery. Safety issues are of particular concern for two populations: 1) individuals with diminished attentional function due to head injury, stroke, attention deficit disorders, dementia, or age-related declines, and 2) individuals in occupations which require exceptional performance (e.g., pilots, air traffic controllers, emergency vehicle drivers, or professional athletes). While there is consensus that attention is needed to perform many daily activities, such as driving, there has not been widespread agreement on how to measure it. The UFOVTM Visual Attention Analyzer is a new instrument developed to assess the functional attentional skills required for driving and attentionally demanding occupations, and to train those skills when they are diminished or for exceptional performance. The focus of this paper is to describe the uses for this technology and discuss its validation regarding crash risk among older drivers.
A variety of assessment techniques are used to evaluate driving performance. To examine the criteria occupational therapists use to determine what makes a good driver, questionnaire surveys (200) were mailed to occupational therapists who evaluate driving ability. The emphasis was on cognitive rather than physical capabilities. The questionnaire explored occupational therapists' education and training for performing driving evaluations and their clinical experience related to driving. It asked: 1) what skill areas are assessed, 2) if there is a checklist of critical behaviors used during the evaluation, 3) which skill areas or components of testing weigh most heavily in the decision process, 4) how therapists reach decisions regarding driving fitness, and 5) whether therapists take into account the clients' personal situation in determining if he or she should drive. The majority of those surveyed (n=81) worked with the head injury population. Other populations included individuals with diabetes, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and the well elderly. The majority of therapists felt that attention (95%), self-insight of the driving ability (92%), problem solving (84%), and traffic sign/light recognition (84%) were the most important indicators of driving competency. Therapists (65%) reported using self designed cognitive evaluations. Occupational therapists vary widely in their assessment of driving performance. Most report that a road test is necessary to determine driving fitness. Many rely on clinical judgment rather standardized test results to determine driving ability. Decisions seem to be made subjectively as many therapists take into account the client's personal situation. Rather than focusing on micro measurement, occupational therapists have an appreciation of the gestalt of driving performance. Their determination of a client's driving ability comes from a feeling of discomfort regarding the person's driving. Researchers may want to quantify the subjective clinical judgment used by therapists to develop testing measures.
In many states, low-vision drivers have little trouble passing the standard visual acuity and on-road
evaluations required for licensing and therefore are allowed to drive‹in some cases without special
restrictions. This presentation will review various optical devices available to low vision drivers, which assist
them in detecting and assessing visual cues in the environment, and will discuss how human factors can aid in
the development and refinement of these devices. Personal experience in driving with low vision will also be
described.