Examining issues surrounding older driver assessment, remediation,
rehabilitation, and the use of alternatives to the car.
Publications - ICADI
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The Impact Of Roadway Intersection Designs On The Driving Performance In An
On-the-road Test Of Young And Senior Adults
Presenters: Classen, Sherrilene; Shechtman, Orit; Garvan, Cynthia; Stephens, Burton; Davis, Ethan
Abstract
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proposed guidelines for highway design
to increase the safe driving ability of older drivers, but little empirical
evidence exists to support these guidelines. Using kinematics measures from
an instrumented vehicle and on-road evaluations, this study investigated the
effects of improved versus unimproved intersections to determine if negotiation
of these intersections is safer for both older (65-85) and younger (25-45) drivers
in North Florida. Preliminary results indicated significant differences in driving
performance between the improved and unimproved road conditions. Kinematics
measures showed that four maneuvers had significantly greater maximum yaw, lateral
acceleration and combined acceleration for the unimproved conditions, and significantly
greater speed for the improved conditions. Increased side forces indicated poorer
lateral stability and increased speed indicated greater confidence during the
turn. Behavioral measures showed that drivers had significantly fewer errors
for two of the improved left-turn maneuvers, and fewer total errors overall
with older drivers having a higher mean number of errors. These findings suggested
that the FHWA guidelines for safe road conditions result in safer driving by
older and younger adults.
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