Abstract
Abstract The elderly represent the fastest growing driving population. Older drivers have a high crash rate per distance traveled, a high risk of injury or death in traffic accidents, and are commonly found to be ‘at fault’ in crashes. This reality has focused more interest on issues associated with the fitness to drive and the safety of older drivers. Many older adults depend greatly on their personal vehicle for transportation and suffer a marked loss of quality of life when, as a consequence of no longer being able or permitted to drive, their mobility becomes significantly restricted. The reasons for the deterioration of driving performance that occur during the aging process are multi-factorial and a great deal of research has focused on the identification of those factors. Nevertheless, some studies incorporating training programs have tried, with some success, to improve the driving-related abilities of older drivers. It has been demonstrated that physical activity can promote several skills that are associated with driving performance in older drivers. Few studies, though, have conducted exercise interventions among older drivers intended to enhance their driving-related abilities and promote road safety. In this context, the purpose of this work consists of examining the perceptual, cognitive, health, and physical factors related to fitness to drive in older adults and identifying possible strategies that can enhance their driving-related abilities. Moreover, potential mechanisms underlying the relationship among physical activity, driving ability, and road safety are discussed.
Highlights
Considering the data regarding road accidents and the demographic evolution, namely the increase in the older population, researchers and public health authorities are showing more interest in issues associated with fitness and safety to drive in older adults
The purpose of this review is to examine the perceptual, cognitive, health, and physical factors that are related to fitness to drive in older adults and at the same time to identify possible strategies that could enhance their driving-related abilities
In the driving-related literature, we have only found one study [62] that examined the effects of exercise on speed perception in older drivers
Summary
Considering the data regarding road accidents and the demographic evolution, namely the increase in the older population, researchers and public health authorities are showing more interest in issues associated with fitness and safety to drive in older adults. There is strong evidence that older drivers will make up a substantially larger proportion of drivers involved in fatal crashes in the few decades This is due to the proportional increase in the older population, the increment of the driving licensure rates, and higher annual distances covered [58, 72, 119]. The practice of physical activities has a positive effect on perceptive, cognitive, and physical abilities as well as on health factors that are considered important for driving performance and safety among older adults. Physical activity is a key factor for healthful aging [4, 120] In this context, the purpose of this review is to examine the perceptual, cognitive, health, and physical factors that are related to fitness to drive in older adults and at the same time to identify possible strategies that could enhance their driving-related abilities. We intend to identify and analyse the potential mechanisms that could support and promote a relationship between physical activity, driving ability, and road safety
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