elderly drivers – dangerous or endangered? - sameru.eu file(din en iso 8596): visus lower than 0,7...

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Professor Dr Bernhard Schlag,

Technical University of Dresden

SaMERU Final Conference Southend on Sea07 March 2013

Elderly drivers – dangerous or endangered?

Prof. Bernhard Schlag

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Statistics: Demography, driving licenses, accidents by age groups

1. The number of people over 80 years of age is expected to increase from 4% of the total population in 2010 to 10% by 2050 in Europe (and to nearly 14% in Germany).

The population share of the elderly (and particularly the old) is growing.

2. In 2008 in Germany, 88% of all adults did hold a driving license (car), compared to 64% of the 75j.+. But: between 2002 and 2008 holding a driving license in old age groups increased by 10 percent.

3. Population share of people aged 65y. and above increased by 16% between 2002 and 2008, their share of all daily travel however by 35%.

New age cohorts are growing old: They are and they stay (car-)mobile.


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Car driving licenses(GER): M / W


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60-64J. = „bench mark“!David S. Loughran, Seth A. Seabury, Laura Zakaras (2007): Regulating Older Drivers Are New Policies Needed? Rand Corporation.http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/02/20/whats-the-real-risk-of-older-drivers/


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Prof. Bernhard Schlag 8

1. Decrease in visual abilities: at dawn/dusk and at night, visual acuity, dynamic vision, accommodation (near/far), adaptation (bright/dark and after exposure to oncoming headlights), useful field of view. Slow process and therefore often insufficient awareness of it.

2. Decrease in multi-tasking ability and of selective and divided attention, easily distracted. Insufficient inhibition of return (reduced ability to ignore irrelevant information)

3. Decrease in performance speed: ranging from sensory processes to the processing of information and decision making to motor-reaction time. Time needed increases with age: Performance seems hesitant and uncertain. Tolerance of the environment? Performance speed is more affected than performance quality. More errors with increasing time pressure.

4. Decrease in agility and flexibility and physical capacity: Relevance for pedestrians and cyclists, partly also for users of public transportation. Increased weariness and slower reaction ability.

5. Risk of overload: in complex situations the risk of cognitive and motor overload increases particularly with time pressure. Dealing with new and fast-changing situations is difficult.

6. High discrepancy between self-image and public image of elderly drivers: negative public image contrasts with positive self-image: consequences for interaction in traffic. Elderly drivers do not drive as badly as some may fear - and they do not drive as well as some seem to hope.

7. Low acceptance of age-related changes: Reluctance to acknowledge such changes, external feedback can be considered hurtful. How does this affect the ability to be self-critical of one`s own driving abilities?

8. Frequent illnesses and increased use of medication9. At the same time the aging process is characterised by strong adaptation requirements10. Limits of compensation? Does compensation require problems to be consciously dealt with?

Psychophysiological development with significance for car-driving in old age

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Age (years) N Visus < 0,7 % did not pass

up to 55 20 1 5.0

64 – 69 39 3 7.7

70 – 74 26 3 11.5

over 74 20 8 40.0

Results of vision tests in a sample of drivers of different age

(DIN EN ISO 8596): Visus lower than 0,7 (regulatory requirement for driving)

(Weller & Schlag, 2013)


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(Fig. 3, S. 506): Hancock, P. A., Lesch, M., & Simmons, L. (2003). The distraction effects of phone use during a crucial driving maneuver. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 35(4), 501-514.(driving tests)


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(Fig. 1, S 188) Horberry, T., Anderson, J., Regan, M. A., Triggs, T. J., & Brown, J. (2006). Driver distraction: The effects of concurrent in-vehicle tasks, road environment complexity and age on driving performance. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 38(1), 185-191.(driving simulator)


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Give time! And: Slow down!


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Which impact on car driving have those regular psychophysical changes with age? Are they compensated in real traffic?


Studies by Schlag et al.:General findings:

• Some remarkable differences• However, some differences were also in favour of elderly

(safety)• Dangerous differences only in specific situations• Driving tasks with average demand are similarly well

performed by elder drivers and middle aged drivers


Driving onto a motorway: entrance ramp Differences between drivers aged 40-50, 60-69 and 70+•Approach speed =•Speed reduction ↑•Increase of this speed difference when entering adjacent lane•Less problems due to aggressive merging; more problems because of hesitant behaviour

Driving behaviour on motorways/rural roadsDifferences between drivers aged 40-50 versus 60+. Elder group:• Slower• Increased distances• Avoidance of lane changes

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Problematic behaviour of elderly drivers at junctions


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New driving tests with elderly car drivers (Weller & Schlag, 2013, on behalf of German Insurers Accident Research ) Main results:

In laboratory: Many significant age effects (vision, cognition, reaction).

Driving on a simulator: Some age effects, also critical ones, but often simulator sickness, restricting the use of driving simulators in older driver studies.

Driving in real traffic:• on motorways and on rural roads rarely effects, elderly driving rather slower• in cities significant effects, particularly when turning in intersections.

To sum up, very little differences between these age groups when driving in real traffic.

Based on such results, „Mandatory Age-Based Assessment“ (MABA) seems not justified. At least negative impact of driving cessation must be mentioned (cf. OECD, 2001).


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1. User oriented town planning: Accessibility is more important than speed.2. Adaptation of roads and the traffic environment to the needs, requirements

and skills of elderly pedestrians, bicycle riders and car drivers.3. Reorganization and extension of public transport that preserves mobility

chances especially for elderly people: Alternatives ensure independence.4. Adaptation of traffic regulations and speed to the reduced abilities of elderly

persons.5. Safer and supporting vehicles: Potential of Advanced driver assistance

systems?6. Support for elderly people in their different traffic participant roles to keep them

safe and mobile. Organize participation to use their competencies and facilitate acceptance.

7. Incentives to ensure and improve self-control and psycho-physical assessment.8. Helping other road users to understand the needs and problems of elderly people

to improve intergenerational interaction in road traffic.

What can be done? IMPROVEMENTS THAT FAVOUR THE ELDERLY

elderly drivers – dangerous or endangered? - sameru.eu file(din en iso 8596): visus lower than 0,7...

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