Acceptance of navigation systems by older drivers

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Some older drivers experience difficulties wayfinding whilst driving in unfamiliar areas. A navigation system (GPS) may be an effective strategy to help improve older adults’ driving performance whilst wayfinding, however little is known about the use or potential safety and mobility benefits/disadvantages of these technologies by older drivers. This paper examined older Australian drivers’ attitudes about potential acceptability (before use) and acceptance (following use) of navigation systems, and whether these attitudes affected intention to use. Two complementary studies were conducted; (i) a survey of 434 older adults who had not previously used navigation systems; and (ii) a pre-post study of usability and acceptance of a contemporary navigation system among a convenience sample of 20 older adults with limited or no previous experience with navigation systems. Drivers who reported wayfinding difficulties were more likely to report willingness to use a navigation system in the future, while other demographic characteristics, such as age, gender and educational level were not predictive. Some drivers indicated that they were satisfied with their current wayfinding methods and did not see a need to use navigation systems. Other barriers to acceptability and acceptance included concerns about how well a navigation system would perform and whether it would be distracting. In contrast, concerns about usability and learnability were less important for acceptance.