Study on Driving Characteristics of Older Drivers and Its Relevance Factor (1st Report, Analysis of Aged Drivers' Driving Characteristics Based on Lifestyle and Physical Characteristics)

Abstract

For reducing traffic accidents by aged drivers, researches on active and passive safety technologies and driver characteristics have been carried out. however, several research achievements are not so effective for aged drivers since the characteristics of aged drivers are distinguished from normal drivers and difficult to analyze. In order to clarify the distinguished factor of aged drivers, this report is based on the assumption that aged drivers' driving characteristics are strongly related to both their lifestyle and physical characteristics. The driving characteristics, the lifestyle, the physical characteristics are investigated from several questionnaire surveys followed by experiments, by using reaction test and actual driving test. The evaluation method of aged drivers' driving performance is proposed based on lifestyle and physical characteristics, and this method provides useful suggestions for understanding the aged drivers' driving characteristics.