Elderly Drivers Research Articles

Exploring the Causal Impact of Age and Nighttime Driving on Road Traffic Injuries among Elderly Drivers: A Bayesian LASSO Approach.

To determine the causal relationship between aging and nighttime driving and the odds of injury among elderly drivers. In this cross-sectional study, 5460 car accidents were investigated from 2015 to 2016. The data were extracted from the Iranian Integrated Road Traffic Injury Registry System. Pedestrian accidents, motorcycle crashes, and fatalities were excluded from the study. To account for major confounders, Bayesian-LASSO, and treatment-effect cutting-edge approaches were used. Overall, 801 injuries (14.67%) were evaluated. The results of the univariable analysis indicated that aging and nighttime had adverse effects on the odds of road traffic injuries (RTIs), even after adjusting for the effect of other variables, these effects remained statistically significant. According to a newly developed approach, the overall effects of aging and nighttime were significantly and directly correlated with the odds of being injured for older adults (both p<0.001). Our findings indicated that drivers over 75 years old experienced 23% higher injury odds (OR=1.23, 95% CI:1.11 to 1.39; p<0.001), while driving at night increased the odds by 1.78 times (OR=1.78, 95% CI:1.51 to 1.83; p<0.001). Aging and nighttime driving are significant risk factors for RTIs among elderly drivers. This highlights the importance of implementing targeted interventions to enhance road safety for this vulnerable population. Furthermore, the use of advanced Bayesian-LASSO and treatment-effect statistical methods highlights the importance of utilizing sophisticated methodologies in epidemiological research to effectively capture and adjust for potential confounding factors.

Extracellular Matrix Dynamics as an Emerging yet Understudied Hallmark of Aging and Longevity.

The biomechanical properties of extracellular matrices (ECM) and their consequences for cellular homeostasis have recently emerged as a driver of aging. Here we review the age-dependent deterioration of ECM in the context of our current understanding of the aging processes. We discuss the reciprocal interactions of longevity interventions with ECM remodeling. And the relevance of ECM dynamics captured by the matrisome and the matreotypes associated with health, disease, and longevity. Furthermore, we highlight that many established longevity compounds promote ECM homeostasis. A large body of evidence for the ECM to qualify as a hallmark of aging is emerging, and the data in invertebrates is promising. However, direct experimental proof that activating ECM homeostasis is sufficient to slow aging in mammals is lacking. We conclude that further research is required and anticipate that a conceptual framework for ECM biomechanics and homeostasis will provide new strategies to promote health during aging.

Linear association between aging and decreased blood thiol antioxidant activity in patients with cataract.

We comprehensively assessed the roles of systemic redox markers by including both prooxidant and antioxidant markers in 121 Japanese subjects (mean ± SD age, 70 ± 11 years; 38 men) with no ocular pathology except age-related cataract. Serum levels of lipid peroxides, ferric-reducing activity, and thiol antioxidant activity were measured using the diacron reactive oxygen metabolite (dROM), biologic antioxidant potential (BAP), and sulfhydryl (SH) tests, respectively, using a free-radical analyzer. Univariate analyses suggested that older age, higher pulse rate, worse best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), higher intraocular pressure, and higher cataract grade were associated with a lower SH level. Scatterplots revealed virtually linear associations between age and the SH level (estimate, -4.4 μM/year). Multivariate analyses suggested that older age, higher systolic blood pressure, and worse BCVA were associated with a lower SH level. Neither the univariate nor multivariate analyses, except between female sex and higher dROM level, were associated with the dROM or BAP level. A lower serum SH level was the driver of aging itself and age-related decline in VA due to cataract. The serum SH level may be an excellent predictor of aging status in each subject.

Self-reported aberrant driving behavior among Bus Rapid Transit drivers

While driving, drivers often engage in aberrant driving behaviors, increasing their risk of getting involved in road crashes. The present study examines the human factors affecting aberrant driving behavior among professional Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) drivers and investigates the relationship between behavioral factors, demographic variables, and crashes. A total of 135 drivers participated in a self-reported survey by responding to the driver behavior questionnaire (DBQ). Exploratory factor analysis performed on DBQ revealed three behavioral factors: violations, errors, and positives. It was found that behavioral factors (violations, errors, and positives) and demographic variables (education, driving experience, and alcohol consumption) were significant predictors of crashes. However, driver's age and marital status were not associated with crashes. The study highlights the importance of positive driver behaviors in reducing crashes; thereby, suggesting it as one of the essential components of driving behavior that should be integrated into driver training programs.

Quantitative Analysis of Pedal Operation by Elderly Drivers in Actual Driving Conditions

Quantitative Analysis of Pedal Operation by Elderly Drivers in Actual Driving Conditions

Evaluation of Left-turning Vehicle-bicycle Conflict Risk with Elderly Drivers Using a Coupled Simulator

Evaluation of Left-turning Vehicle-bicycle Conflict Risk with Elderly Drivers Using a Coupled Simulator

THE MANAGEMENT STYLE UNDER THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The main assets and the primary drivers of the Industrial Age were machines and capital. People were necessary, but replaceable. This is because machines controlled the speed of workers’ labor through the assembly line, and management controlled the speed of workers’ labor through the quota system. In other words, management used the carrot-stick approach to motivate employees so they could perform the physical labor needed to produce the products and services. In the Fourth Industrial Age, however, knowledge workers produce most goods and services with their mind. Thus, the challenge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is how companies can secure talent acquisition and motivate their knowledge workers to release their human potential. This article consists of four related topics. First, there are similarities between the four industrial revolutions and the five ages of civilization. Therefore, we may infer the opportunities of the four industrial revolutions through the characteristics of these five ages of civilization. Second, product life cycle theory explains the major reason for the rise and fall of many products and/or companies. When companies face a do-or die situation, the theory explains why they must take big risks to avoid failure. Third, we will use the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) as a case study to explain why the company became one of the World's top 3 automakers according to sales in 2022. Fourth, this article discusses how business leaders can secure talent acquisition and self-motivate employees to make their market-creating innovations successful. Keywords: fourth industrial revolution, Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), knowledge worker, talent acquisition, self-motivation, product life cycle theory, and automobile industry.

Stromal niche inflammation mediated by IL-1 signalling is a targetable driver of haematopoietic ageing.

Haematopoietic ageing is marked by a loss of regenerative capacity and skewed differentiation from haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), leading to impaired blood production. Signals from the bone marrow niche tailor blood production, but the contribution of the old niche to haematopoietic ageing remains unclear. Here we characterize the inflammatory milieu that drives both niche and haematopoietic remodelling. We find decreased numbers and functionality of osteoprogenitors at the endosteum and expansion of central marrow LepR+ mesenchymal stromal cells associated with deterioration of the sinusoidal vasculature. Together, they create a degraded and inflamed old bone marrow niche. Niche inflammation in turn drives the chronic activation of emergency myelopoiesis pathways in old HSCs and multipotent progenitors, which promotes myeloid differentiation and hinders haematopoietic regeneration. Moreover, we show how production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) by the damaged endosteum acts in trans to drive the proinflammatory nature of the central marrow, with damaging consequences for the old blood system. Notably, niche deterioration, HSC dysfunction and defective regeneration can all be ameliorated by blocking IL-1 signalling. Our results demonstrate that targeting IL-1 as a key mediator of niche inflammation is a tractable strategy to improve blood production during ageing.

Predicting Fitness to Drive for Medically At-Risk Drivers Using Touchscreen DriveSafe DriveAware

Occupational therapists require valid cognitive fitness-to-drive tools to advise drivers in this high-stakes area. To examine the psychometric properties and predictive validity of data gathered with the touchscreen DriveSafe DriveAware (DSDA). Prospective study that compared a screening tool with a criterion standard. Ten community- and hospital-based driver assessment clinics in Australia and New Zealand. Older and cognitively impaired drivers (N = 134) ages 18 to 91 years (Mage= 68) who were referred for an assessment to determine the impact of a medical condition on driving. The inclusion criteria were a valid driver's license, vision within license authority guidelines, completion of at least 1 year of high school, and English as a first language. The results of the touchscreen DSDA, a standardized assessment of awareness of the driving environment and one's own driving abilities, were compared with those of a standardized occupational therapist-administered on-road assessment. Rasch analysis provided evidence for the construct validity and internal reliability of data gathered with the touchscreen DSDA. Optimal upper and lower cutoff scores were set to trichotomize drivers into three categories: likely to pass an on-road assessment, likely to fail an on-road assessment, and further testing required. Specificity of the touchscreen DSDA was 86%, and sensitivity was 91%; positive predictive value was 83%, negative predictive value was 92%, and overall accuracy of classification was 88%. Evidence supports the utility of the touchscreen DSDA for accurately predicting which participants require on-road assessment. What This Article Adds: The touchscreen DSDA is a promising screen for occupational therapists and other health professionals to use in conjunction with other clinical indicators to determine whether drivers require further assessment.

Analysis of Stopping Behavior at Rural T-Intersections Using Naturalistic Driving Study Data

Rural intersections account for around 30% of crashes in rural areas and 6% of all fatal crashes, representing a significant but poorly understood safety problem. Crashes at rural intersections are also problematic since high speeds on intersection approaches are present which can exacerbate the impact of a crash. Additionally, rural areas are often underserved with EMS services which can further contribute to negative crash outcomes. This paper describes an analysis of driver stopping behavior at rural T-intersections using the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study data. Type of stop was used as a safety surrogate measure using full/rolling stops compared to non-stops. Time series traces were obtained for 157 drivers at 87 unique intersections resulting in 1277 samples at the stop controlled approach for T-intersections. Roadway (i.e. number of lanes, presence of skew, speed limit, presence of stop bar or other traffic control devices), driver (age, gender, speeding), and environmental characteristics (time of day, presence of rain) were reduced and included as independent variables. Results of a logistic regression model indicated drivers were less likely to stop during the nighttime. However presence of intersection lighting increased the likelihood of full/rolling stops. Presence of intersection skew was shown to negatively impact stopping behavior. Additionally drivers who were traveling over the posted speed limit upstream of the intersection approach were less likely to stop at the approach stop sign.

Senolytics rejuvenate the reparative activity of human cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells

Introduction: Senescent cells have emerged as bona fide drivers of ageing and age-related cardiovascular disease, with senescent cells accumulating in the aged heart and following damage/injury. We have shown that the removal of senescent cells using senolytics can rejuvenate the regenerative capacity of the aged heart. Aim: To investigate the effects of cell senescence and the action of the senolytics, Dasatinib (D) and Quercetin (Q) on human iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte survival and cell cycle, and endothelial cell survival, cell cycle, migration and tube formation in vitro. Methods and Results: We developed a transwell insert co-culture stress-induced premature senescence human cell model system to test the effects of senolytics D+Q in vitro. Co-culture of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) with senescent cardiac stromal progenitor cells (senCPCs) led to decreased number and DNA-synthesising activity of iPSC-CMs. Treatment with senolytics D+Q led to the elimination of senCPCs in the co-culture and the rescue of iPSC-CM number and DNA synthesis. Treatment of HUVECs with senCPC conditioned media decreased HUVEC number, cell cycle activity, migration, and tube formation. Treatment of HUVECs with D+Q conditioned media rescued HUVEC number, migration and tube formation. Next, we investigated the effects of co-culture of senescent HUVECs (senHUVECs) with HUVECs and showed decreased HUVEC number and DNA synthesis. Treatment with senolytics D+Q led to the elimination of senHUVECs in the co-culture and ameliorated HUVEC number, but not DNA synthesis. Treatment of HUVECs with conditioned media from senHUVECs led to decreased HUVEC migration and tube formation. Treatment of HUVECs with D+Q conditioned media improved HUVEC tube formation but not migration. Luminex analysis of the conditioned media from iPSC-CM and HUVEC co-cultures revealed upregulation of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors, but the level of SASP factors was reduced with the application of D+Q. Conclusion: Senescent cell removal by senolytics D+Q shows therapeutic potential in rejuvenating the reparative activity of human cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. These results open the path to further studies on using senolytic therapy in age-related cardiac deterioration and rejuvenation. Potential impact of the findings: Senescent cells and their SASP present a promising therapeutic target to rejuvenate the heart’s reparative potential. Clinical trials using senolytics D+Q are already underway and thus far have shown promising results. Further pre-clinical studies are warranted for evidence-based clinical trials using senolytics in age-related cardiovascular diseases.

Elderly driver support project implemented in Chitose, Hokkaido

Elderly driver support project implemented in Chitose, Hokkaido

Investigating the Risk Factors on Crash Severity for Selected Risky Roads in Al-Diwaniyah City by Utilizing a Binary Probit Model

Traffic crashes are one of the main reasons for the deaths of many people and the loss of property. Road safety is a crucial aspect of transportation that aims to prevent crashes and injuries on the road, and several contributing factors affect it. In this study, the binary probit model using the N-Logit software was applied to crash-related data to examine the contribution of several variables to severe crash outcomes in Al-Diwaniyah City. Crash severity (the dependent variable) in this study is a dichotomous variable with two categories, severe and non-severe. Because of the binary nature of this dependent variable, a binary probit model was found suitable. Out of 37 independent variables obtained from Al-Diwaniyah Hospital traffic crash reports between 2014 and 2021 and from fieldwork to evaluate the pavement surface condition using the pavement condition index (PCI), six were statistically significantly associated with severe crashes. These factors include driver age, spring and summer seasons, pavement surface conditions, pedestrian collisions, and multi-vehicle crashes. Some proposals were also recommended to reduce traffic crashes, such as using median barriers to regulate pedestrian crossing, managing a proper number of lanes in the roads to avoid congestion due to a large number of vehicles, assessing the condition of the pavement surface annually at least, to identify pavement defects and conduct appropriate maintenance. Therefore, governments and transportation agencies must prioritize regular pavement condition evaluation as part of their maintenance programs for roads and highways. In conclusion, road safety is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach involving various stakeholders such as government agencies, law enforcement agencies, vehicle manufacturers, drivers, pedestrians, and other road users.

The Impacts of Heat Stress on the Cognitive Performance Parameters of Taxi Drivers

Aim:Cognitive function factors have been reported as an effective factor in the incidence of traffic accidents. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of heat stress on the cognitive performance parameters of taxi drivers.Materials and Methods:This prospective cohort study was performed on 29 taxi drivers in both winter and summer. The parameters studied in this study were precision, speed of work, attention, short-term auditory memory, concentration skills, mental fatigue, the wet bulb glob temperature index, and the thermal comfort parameters.Results:The mean and standard deviation of drivers age was 52.24 ± 8.28 years. People's performance in terms of speed, precision, number of errors, and attention in the summer morning shift was better than the winter evening shift, but these parameters dropped sharply in the evening shift in the summer. There was a statitistically significant difference between these parameters in the morning and evening of summer (P&lt; 0.05).Conclusion:The results of this study showed that heat stress reduces the precision, speed of work and attention and increases the number of errors and mental fatigue of drivers. Therefore, it is necessary to plan to improve the working conditions of drivers to prevent the reduction of drivers' cognitive performance and improve driving conditions.

The Phnomenological Study on the Driving Experience of Elderly Drivers

연구목적: 본 연구의 목적은 현재 운전을 수행하는 고령자를 대상으로 운전수행의 의미를 확인하고, 향후 고령자의 안전한 운전을 수행을 위한 계획 수립 시 활용할 수 있는 기초자료로 제시하는 것이다. 연구방법: 본 연구는 총 5명의 연구참여자를 대상으로 현상학적 연구방법으로 수행하였다. 연구자가 연구참여자에게 운전에 대한 인터뷰를 시행하였고, 인터뷰 내용을 녹음 후 전사하여 심층적으로 분석하였다. 연구결과: 본 연구는 인터뷰의 내용을 통해서 3개 범주의 13개 주제 모음, 31개의 주제로 나누었다. 연구결과: 범주는 운전수행의 제약, 주행 형태의 변화, 대처방안 모색이었다. 결론: 본 연구를 통해서 고령운전자의 운전수행의 의미를 확인할 수 있었다. 향후의 연구에서 고령운전자의 안전한 운전을 위한 정책과 제도를 마련하는 과정에 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

Preliminary driving style classification of the professional drivers

Driving style and driver behaviour are important in evaluating city bus drivers. Buses are one of the means of public transportation in cities, used by millions of people. The purpose of this study was to present a model for preliminary classification of driving style of the professional drivers based on averaged maximum values of lateral and longitudinal acceleration recorded during regular work. First, the recorded acceleration values of 69 city bus drivers were analysed. Then, the correlation between the acceleration values and the age and experience of the city bus drivers was examined. Based on the results of the preliminary classification of drivers, extreme values for both lateral acceleration and longitudinal acceleration (deceleration and acceleration) were obtained by 3 drivers out of the 69 tested. The study also examined the relationship between averaged values of maximum lateral and longitudinal acceleration and driver age and experience. Based on the correlation results, showed that age and the number of years of holding a driver's license are not significantly related to acceleration. Therefore, the method can be used to analyse drivers regardless of their age and experience.

The Association between Replacement Drivers and Depressive Symptoms.

A replacement driver is a type of gig worker who provides driving services to the target point with the drunk driver's own car. This study aimed to examine the association of replacement drivers (ref: paid workers) with depressive symptoms. Information on replacement drivers was collected through online/offline surveys. Data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were applied to construct the control group. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9; ≥5 points was defined as depressive symptoms. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by performing multivariable logistic regression analysis. The mean age of replacement drivers was 56.11. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in replacement drivers and controls were 49.63% and 12.64%, respectively. Replacement drivers showed a higher association with depressive symptoms than paid workers (aOR 7.89, 95% CI [5.53-11.26]). This relationship was prominent in the older, low-education, and low-income groups. Linear discriminant analysis was the most effective in predicting depressive symptoms among the machine learning models. Using the replacement driver feature increased the AUC values of the models. Given the strong association between depressive symptoms and replacement drivers, in-depth studies to establish guidelines to prevent mental diseases among replacement drivers are required.

Dynamic regulation of gonadal transposon control across the lifespan of the naturally short-lived African turquoise killifish.

Although germline cells are considered to be functionally "immortal," both the germline and supporting somatic cells in the gonad within an organism experience aging. With increased age at parenthood, the age-related decline in reproductive success has become an important biological issue for an aging population. However, molecular mechanisms underlying reproductive aging across sexes in vertebrates remain poorly understood. To decipher molecular drivers of vertebrate gonadal aging across sexes, we perform longitudinal characterization of the gonadal transcriptome throughout the lifespan in the naturally short-lived African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). By combining mRNA-seq and small RNA-seq from 26 individuals, we characterize the aging gonads of young-adult, middle-aged, and old female and male fish. We analyze changes in transcriptional patterns of genes, transposable elements (TEs), and piRNAs. We find that testes seem to undergo only marginal changes during aging. In contrast, in middle-aged ovaries, the time point associated with peak female fertility in this strain, PIWI pathway components are transiently down-regulated, TE transcription is elevated, and piRNA levels generally decrease, suggesting that egg quality may already be declining at middle-age. Furthermore, we show that piRNA ping-pong biogenesis declines steadily with age in ovaries, whereas it is maintained in aging testes. To our knowledge, this data set represents the most comprehensive transcriptomic data set for vertebrate gonadal aging. This resource also highlights important pathways that are regulated during reproductive aging in either ovaries or testes, which could ultimately be leveraged to help restore aspects of youthful reproductive function.

Analysis of mobile phone use engagement during naturalistic driving through explainable imbalanced machine learning

While driver distraction remains an issue in modernized societies, technological advancements in data collection, storage and analysis provide the means for deeper insights of this complex phenomenon. In this research, factors influencing when driver distraction through mobile phone use occurs during naturalistic driving are investigated. Naturalistic data from a 6-stage, 230-driver experiment are exploited, in which drivers installed a non-intrusive driving recording application in their devices and conducted their trips normally across a 21-month timespan, coupled with corresponding questionnaire data. The various experiment stages involved providing progressively more behavioral feedback to drivers while continuing to record them. Subsequently, supervised Machine Learning XGBoost algorithms were employed to model the contributions of naturalistic driving and questionnaire features to the decision to engage mobile phone use. Mobile phone use percentages were heavily skewed towards zero, therefore imbalanced ML with a minority-oversampling approach in a binary format was employed. To increase the explainability offered by the algorithm, SHAP values were calculated for the informative features. Results indicate that the decision of drivers to use a mobile while driving is governed by a number of complex, non-linear relationships. Total trip distance is the most significant predictor variable by a wide margin, with mean SHAP values of 0.79 towards affecting the model decisions for the probability of mobile phone use of each driver. However, other variables influence the final predictions as well, such as the number of tickets in the last three years (m.SHAP = 0.30), declared mobile phone use (m.SHAP = 0.26), the amount and variety of provided feedback (m.SHAP = 0.17) (i.e. experiment phase number) and family member numbers (m.SHAP = 0.09) decrease the probability of using a mobile phone while driving. Conversely, increases in driver experience (m.SHAP = 0.22), driver age (m.SHAP = 0.11), engine capacity (m.SHAP = 0.11) and total kilometers driven annually (m.SHAP = 0.08) increase the probability of using a mobile phone in naturalistic driving conditions. SHAP dependency plots reveal non-linear effects present in almost all variables. Fuel consumption had a particularly strong non-linear effect, as higher values of this variable lead to both higher and lower probability of drivers using a mobile phone, deviating from the safer average. Legislation, campaigns and enforcement measures can be restructured to take advantage of gains margins in terms of understanding and predicting driver distraction behavior, as explored in the present study.

DIABETES MELLITUS AND HARD BRAKING EVENTS IN OLDER DRIVERS

Abstract There are an estimated 37 million people with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the United States, including 16 million older adults. DM can impair patients’ driving safety due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy, hypoglycemia, or hyperglycemia, and eye diseases. However, few studies have examined the association between DM and driving safety based on naturalistic driving data. Data for this study came from the Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) project, a multisite naturalistic driving study of 2990 drivers aged 65–79 years at baseline. Driving data for the study participants were recorded by in-vehicle recording devices for up to 44 months. We used multivariable negative binomial modeling to estimate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of hard braking events (i.e., proxies for unsafe driving behavior defined as maneuvers with deceleration rates ≥ 0.4 g) associated with DM. Of the 2856 study participants eligible for this study, 482 (16.9%) reported having DM at baseline. The overall incidence rate of hard braking events was 1.16 per 1000 miles. Adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education level, annual household income, urbanicity, history of stroke, and number of medications, drivers with DM had a 10% increased rate of hard braking events compared to drivers without DM (adjusted IRR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.12). Results of this study indicates that DM is associated with a significantly increased rate of hard braking events in older drivers, suggesting less safe driving. Driving safety should be incorporated into DM management and care programs.