Assessing Senior Driving through GPS Tracking
20 Sep 2012Some things get better with age. A couple of things that come to mind are fine wine and aged cheese. Even young motorists become better drivers as they get more driving experience under their belts.
Unfortunately, senior drivers steadily get more dangerous to themselves and others on the road as they age. Seniors who reach 65 and older often begin losing physical capabilities that are required to drive effectively and reflexes begin dwindling. According to a 1997 study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 14% of traffic fatalities during that year were caused by senior drivers.
Hope is not lost however; a new study from our neighbors to the north — McMaster University’s Facility of Health Sciences out of Ontario, Canada — investigated the use of global positioning systems (GPS) to track the driving habits of seniors. McMaster is conducting a study that combines GPS tracking technology with video camera feeds to record the driving habits of seniors. Researchers hope to discover how seniors drive as they get older, and what can be done to avoid vehicle accidents.
The study is part of a $330,000 project by researchers at McGill University, as a follow up study to one completed in 2008. This newest study is adding video camera feeds to GPS tracking in order to track and record senior’s physical, cognitive, medical, and functional driving abilities. Researchers will then turn over their information and provide recommendations to physicians, automakers and government legislators with the goal of reducing senior-related driving accidents.
GPS tracking was first used in conjunction with monitoring senior driving in 2008. The study was headed by associate professor of occupational therapy, Brenda Vrkljam. The data from this study is still being compiled. The newest study is currently recruiting and is part of a $22 million research study for auto-related accidents and incidents.
Senior Drivers in the United States
In the next 20 years, the number of drivers over the age of 70 is predicted to increase three-fold in the United States. Baby boomers are now nearing retirement age which will increase the number of senior drivers in the US. Some states are already implementing ways to improve the safety of other drivers and pedestrians.
California, for example, requires mandatory driving tests for all licensed drivers over the age of 70. If they don’t pass their test, their driver’s license will be suspended. In Pennsylvania, there is a mandatory physician reporting law which requires doctors to report medical conditions that may impact the senior’s ability to drive safely.
GPS tracking technology will prove to benefit the US with the ability to provide the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with accurate crash statistics of senior drivers, such as their speed or driving patterns prior to vehicle accidents.
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