Friday, July 6, 2012

From Queensland U of Tech: Older drivers, road safety, and self-regulation

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8110358795032690358


 2012 Jul 2. [Epub ahead of print]

The relationship between cognitive ability, insight and self-regulatory behaviors: Findings from the older driver population.

Source

Centre of Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q) & Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

Abstract

Self-regulation is often promoted as a coping strategy that may allow older drivers to drive safely for longer. Self-regulation depends upon driversmaking an accurate assessment of their own ability and having a willingness to practice self-regulatory behaviors to compensate for changes in ability. The current study explored the relationship between older drivers' cognitive ability, their driving confidence and their use of self-regulation. An additional study aim was to explore the relationship between these factors and older drivers' interest in driving programs. Seventy Australian driversaged 65 years and over completed a questionnaire about their driving and a brief screening measure of cognitive ability (an untimed Clock Drawing Test). While all participants reported high levels of confidence regarding their driving ability, and agreed that they would continue driving in the foreseeable future, a notable proportion performed poorly on the Clock Drawing Test. Compared to older drivers who successfully completed the Clock Drawing Test, those who failed the cognitive test were significantly less likely to report driving self-regulation, and showed significantly less interest in being involved in driving programs. Older drivers with declining cognitive abilities may not be self-regulating their driving. This group also appears to be unlikely to self-refer to driving programs.

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