Cognitive and Perceptual Factors in Aging and Driving Performance

Rinalducci, Edward J; Mouloua, Mustapha; Smither, Janan · 2001 · ROSA P / University of Central Florida. Center for Advanced Transportation Systems Simulation

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Summary

This study investigates the cognitive, perceptual, and neurological factors influencing driving performance across different age groups. Motivated by evidence that older drivers face increased accident risks due to declines in attention, processing speed, and visual capabilities, the research aimed to identify specific measures that predict driving impairment. The authors hypothesized that older adults would exhibit greater susceptibility to driving deficits in a simulated environment compared to younger drivers, potentially exacerbated by age-related neurological changes. The study employed three age groups: young adults (19–34), middle-aged adults (35–59), and older adults (60+), with 20 participants recruited for each group. Data collection occurred in two phases. First, participants underwent perceptual assessments (acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereopsis), cognitive testing using the Useful Field of View (UFOV) test, and neurological evaluations including the Mini-Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test Part B, Digit Symbol, and Block Design tests. Second, participants completed a low-fidelity driving simulation using a PC-based video game (*Need for Speed III*) with force-feedback steering. Due to simulator sickness, particularly among older participants, the final analysis included 19 young, 18 middle-aged, and 16 older drivers. Performance metrics included collisions, speed limit adherence, lane maintenance, and time to completion. Results indicated that younger drivers experienced significantly more collisions and crashes than both middle-aged and older drivers. Older drivers were more likely to obey speed limits and drove more cautiously, whereas younger drivers frequently exceeded limits, leading to higher crash rates. However, older participants demonstrated significant declines in perceptual and cognitive functions; UFOV scores, which measure visual processing speed, divided attention, and selective attention, worsened with age. Correlational analyses revealed that poorer performance on UFOV, Digit Symbol, Block Design, Trail Making Test B, and contrast sensitivity tests strongly predicted negative driving outcomes, such as leaving the roadway and crossing medians. While older drivers drove more safely in terms of crash frequency in this simulation, their degraded attentional capacities suggested a higher potential risk in complex real-world scenarios. The study concludes that specific cognitive and perceptual tests, particularly the UFOV and neurological assessments, are effective predictors of driving performance. The findings suggest that while older drivers may compensate for cognitive declines by driving more slowly and cautiously, their reduced attentional reserves pose a latent risk. The authors recommend practical interventions, including attention-training programs based on UFOV protocols and the implementation of in-vehicle warning systems to alert drivers to blind spots or following distances. These measures could mitigate risks for at-risk drivers of all ages, addressing the specific perceptual and cognitive deficits associated with aging.

Key finding

Younger drivers had more collisions and speed limit violations in the simulation, while older drivers drove more slowly and obeyed speed limits more frequently despite having degraded UFOV scores.

Methodology

lab_experiment

Sample size: 60

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• useful field of view
• age related perceptual decline
• mci dementia driving
• cognitive capacity variation
• older drivers
• sensory abilities

Information type

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