Statistics show that in the United States, there are about 38 million licensed drivers over age 65, which currently represents about 1/8 of our population. By 2024, this figure will DOUBLE to 25%. Given this anticipated increase in senior citizens (and senior drivers) among our population, the current research is intended to address the driving capabilities of our older population, as accident and injury risk has been statistically shown to increase (when normalized per miles driven) with advanced age. Our primary objective is to perform a preliminary Pilot study that allows our research team to establish the potential of supplementing traditional driver evaluation for senior persons with a motion-based full field-of-view driving simulator. Within a simulator, a variety of driving scenarios can be implemented that sufficiently challenge drivers in a way that, due to safety and logistical concerns, cannot be accomplished within the confines of a real vehicle. Longer-term, a driving simulator can be used to define driving tasks that are most likely to be affected by stages of early-stage dementia, and used to measure, capture, and analyze associated vital driver performance metrics. For this study, each driver was evaluated using a conventional driver evaluation mechanism: in-clinic (i.e., to measure cognition, motor and visual skills) and in-vehicle (i.e., to measure one’s mechanical ability to operate a vehicle). Prior to these examinations, each driver was also evaluated within a driving simulator, using the same metrics used for the in-vehicle examination. A subsequent data analysis was performed to identify any trends or correlations between the three evaluation mechanisms. Ultimately, it is hoped that the insight gleaned from this Pilot study will help to inform recommendations for making simulation-based technologies more successful as a long-term supplementary driver evaluation mechanism, for this age demographic specifically.
