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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Amy Guo, Simon Edwards, Professor Phil BlytheORCiD, Dr Richard Fairchild
Studies of individual developed countries in Europe, Asia and North America document that elderly drivers do not represent an excessive risk or a threat to other road users. They are more likely to hurt themselves than to put others at risk. However, they are more likely to be involved in accidents at intersections and are often legally responsible for accidents. Hence, as with pedestrians and cyclists, elderly drivers have a higher measure of fragility and vulnerability. In response to these statistics and the rapidly ageing global population, the purpose of this paper is three fold. Firstly, it reviews factors involved in the functional decline of elderly drivers. Secondly, it assesses the feedback and support capabilities of in-vehicle systems (IVSs) with the potential to assist elderly people to drive safely for longer and maintain their quality of life. Lastly, it describes a newly funded project, Social inclusion through Digital Economy (SiDE), which will demonstrate an innovative application of driving simulator technology to test and evaluate the impact of emerging in-vehicle systems on elderly drivers. This project intends to assess whether it makes them less vulnerable road users. The review concludes that IVSs providing feedback and support to elderly drivers have the potential to help them recognise their weakness and vulnerability as road users and improve their driving performance through the use of advice, alerts, warnings or active interventions.
Author(s): Guo AW, Brake JF, Edwards S, Blythe PT, Fairchild RG
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Transport Research Review
Year: 2010
Volume: 2
Issue: 3
Pages: 165-174
Print publication date: 10/10/2010
Date deposited: 14/01/2011
ISSN (print): 1867-0717
ISSN (electronic): 1866-8887
Publisher: Springer
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12544-010-0037-y
DOI: 10.1007/s12544-010-0037-y
Notes: Special Issue on Safety of Vulnerable Road Users
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