Abstract
Losing the capacity to drive due to age-related cognitive decline can have a detrimental impact on the daily life functioning of older adults living alone and in remote areas. Semi-autonomous vehicles (SAVs) could have the potential to preserve driving independence of this population with high health needs. This paper explores if SAVs could be used as a cognitive assistive device for older aging drivers with cognitive challenges. We illustrate the impact of age-related changes of cognitive functions on driving capacity. Furthermore, following an overview on the current state of SAVs, we propose a model for connecting cognitive health needs of older drivers to SAVs. The model demonstrates the connections between cognitive changes experienced by aging drivers, their impact on actual driving, car sensors’ features, and vehicle automation. Finally, we present challenges that should be considered when using the constantly changing smart vehicle technology, adapting it to aging drivers and vice versa. This paper sheds light on age-related cognitive characteristics that should be considered when developing future SAVs manufacturing policies which may potentially help decrease the impact of cognitive change on older adult drivers.
Highlights
This paper will focus on cognitive change and explore how the development of semi-autonomous vehicles (SAVs) with consideration of the older driver could delay older adult driving retirement
The first challenge faced by older drivers/consumers is the cost of SAVs
Additional legal issues can arise if there are disagreements between physicians, families, and older drivers regarding the need of driving automation—if there is an accident that could have been avoided using automation, who is responsible? if there is an accident despite automation, who is legally responsible: the physician that “prescribed” it, the driver, or the manufacturer? All of these issues will need to be taken into consideration when discussing the risks and benefits with patients and families of choosing to continue to drive with some driving automation vs. driving in retirement
Summary
Driving is a complex instrumental activity of daily living requiring cognition and good physical health. Driving research has shown that a decline in executive functioning can include a reduction in the speed at which visual information is processed when switching between two aspects of driving, and that this can lead to potentially dangerous traffic situations. There is abundant evidence that collectively these declines in visual scanning, selective attention, speed of processing, and executive functioning have an impact on actual driving outcomes. A review of over 5000 older adult driver crashes in Florida, found that lane maintenance, yielding and gap acceptance errors predicted crash-related injuries with almost 50% probability [21] Given all of these cognitive changes associated with aging, theoretically over time potentially every driver would develop changes sufficient to increase their crash rate, while recognizing that this is likely balanced out by experience and changes in behaviour such as limiting driving exposure and changes in driving style. There can be an additional overall decline in general health [5], higher risk admission rates into long-term care facilities [28], and even death [29]
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