The Effects of Divided Attention and Cognitive Distraction on Driver’s Performance Among People Aged over 65

Heidari, Mahdi Ebnali; Azam, Kamal; Nazeri, Ahmadreza; Heidari, Majid Ebnali; Shateri, Alireza · 2017 · Crossref

DOI: 10.21859/joe-04045

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study investigates the impact of cognitive distraction, specifically divided attention caused by listening to a recorded conversation, on the driving performance of individuals aged 65 and older. The research is motivated by the increasing prevalence of elderly drivers and the growing complexity of driving due to in-vehicle technologies that demand cognitive resources. While previous studies often relied on simulators, this field study aims to assess these effects in real-world driving conditions to better understand how secondary tasks influence safety and performance in this demographic. The experimental design involved 32 male participants with a minimum age of 65 (mean age 66.7 years) and at least ten years of driving experience. Participants completed two road tests on a 20-kilometer one-way route under similar traffic conditions. The first test served as a baseline with no secondary task, while the second test required participants to listen to a recorded health-related conversation broadcast through the vehicle’s audio system at 70 dB. Performance metrics included average driving speed, time spent in a "danger zone" (defined as a time-to-collision of less than 2.5 seconds with the vehicle ahead), number of overtaking maneuvers, and number of lateral lane deviations. Data were collected using a radar system mounted on the vehicle’s front bumper and a digital camera facing the road, with analysis performed using paired t-tests and Pearson correlation coefficients. The results demonstrated statistically significant changes in driving behavior when participants engaged in the dual-task condition. Average driving speed decreased significantly ($P = 0.02$), and the time spent in the danger zone was reduced ($P = 0.018$), indicating that drivers increased their following distance. The number of overtaking maneuvers also decreased significantly ($P < 0.001$). Conversely, the mean number of lateral lane deviations increased significantly ($P < 0.001$), with participants exhibiting 1.3 times more deviations during the distracted condition. Correlation analysis revealed that older age and lower weekly/annual driving mileage were associated with greater reductions in speed. The findings suggest that elderly drivers employ compensatory strategies, such as reducing speed and increasing following distance, to mitigate the risks associated with cognitive distraction. However, the increase in lateral deviations indicates a deterioration in lane-keeping stability, which poses a safety risk. The study concludes that while elderly drivers attempt to manage cognitive load by driving more cautiously, the secondary task still negatively impacts vehicle control. These results highlight the need for further research into the specific cognitive demands of in-vehicle systems and their interaction with age-related cognitive limitations in real-world settings.

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

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• cognitive
• auditory
• mci dementia driving
• manual
• older drivers
• distraction detection algorithms

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data, observational prevalence
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model