Correlation of Visual, Cognitive, Physical Motor Skills and Risk Perception with Driving Performances of Young and Elderly Drivers.

Since driving is a complex task involving integration of visual, cognitive, and physical motor skills, elderly drivers are at a higher risk of road crashes because they have limitations in all those skills. This study analyzed the correlation between all the skills, including the drivers' risk perception, as risk factors impacting on their performance. This research was an experimental study. The young drivers amounted to 7 persons (22 - 24 years old), the elderly subjects constituted two groups including: 9 persons (group 1: 60 - 65 years old) and 12 persons (group 2: 66 - 76 years old). The instruments were the Use full Field Of View (UFOV), the Trail Making Tests (TMT) A & B, the tapping test, the Driver's Stress Intention (DSI), and the Driver Coping Questionnaire (DCQ). The driving performance was evaluated via a driving game simulator. There were correlations between the independent variables (visual, cognitive, and physical skill), including DRP being measured to assess the drivers' performances. The visual skill, for instance an error of UFOV, influenced all the drivers groups. Cognitive factors (TMT A and B) and DRP (hazard monitoring, reappraisal, avoidance, and dislike driving) were found to be correlated only in the young drivers and the elderly drivers of group 1. Considering the Physical motor-skilled factors, the errors that were occurred during the tapping test were reported to have correlation with the driving ability of the younger drivers and the second elderly group (>65 years old) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]