Ageing Research at MUARC

The vision for ageing research at MUARC is independence and quality of life for older people, to be achieved by promoting safety and enhancing mobility. Our vision recognises the complex relationships between injury and restrictions or disability, functional independence, and healthy ageing.

Our research relates to all settings in which older people live, work and recreate: private homes, public roads and other public spaces, workplaces, and residential care settings. We apply multi-disciplinary methods drawn from engineering, public health, human factors, medicine, psychology and statistics. Cross cutting themes include development and utilisation of health and transport sector databases, economics and measuring the burden of injury, and the design of safe systems and products.

Research project descriptions

Older drivers

• McKnight, A. J. (1992) Driver licensing in Victoria, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 27
• Fildes, B. N., Lee, S. J., Kenny, D. & Foddy, W. (1994) Survey of older road users: behavioural and travel issues, Monash University Accident Research Centre, September, Report No. 57
• Fildes, B. N., Corben, B. F., Kent, S. M., Oxley, J., Le, T. M. & Ryan, P. (1994) Older road user crashes, Monash University Accident Research Centre, September, Report No. 61
• Diamantopoulou, K., Skalova, M., Dyte, D. & Cameron, M. (1996) Crash risks of road user groups in Victoria, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 88
• Fildes, B. (1997) Safety of older drivers: strategy for future research and action initiatives, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 118
• Fildes, B., Corben, B., Morris, A., Oxley, J., Pronk, N., Brown, L. & Fitzharris, M. (2000) Road safety environment and design for older drivers, Austroads, AP-R169/00 (Available Austroads site)
• Fildes, B., Pronk, N., Langford, J., Hull, M., Frith, B. & Anderson, J. (2000) Model licence re-assessment procedure for older and disabled drivers, Austroads, AP-R176/00
• Charlton, J., Oxley, J., Fildes, B., Oxley, P., Newstead, S., O'Hare, M. & Koppel, S. (2003) An investigation of self-regulatory behaviours of older drivers, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 208
• Langford, J. & Fildes, B. [Eds.] (2003) Australasian Road Safety Handbook: Volume 1: Austroads Incorporated, AP-R234Oxley, J., Corben, B., Fildes, B., O'Hare, M. & Rothengatter, T. (2004) Older vulnerable road users - measures to reduce crash and injury risk, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 218
• Oxley, J., Charlton, J. & Fildes, B. (2003) Self-regulation of older drivers: a review of literature, Austroads, Report No. AP-R221/03 (Available from Austroads site)
• Charlton, J., Koppel, S., O'Hare, M., Andrea, D., Smith, G., Khodr, B., Langford, J., Odell, M. & Fildes, B. (2004) Influence of chronic illness on crash involvement of motor vehicle drivers, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 213
• Fildes, B., Oxley, J., Corben, B. & Langford, J. (2004) Road Environment and Design for Older Drivers: Stage II. Volume 1 – Overview. Volume 2 – Handbook of Suggestions for Road Design Changes, Austroads, AP–R261/04
• Monash University Accident Research Centre (2004) Model licence re-assessment procedure for older drivers: stage 2 research, Austroads, AP-R259/04
• Oxley, J., Charlton, J., Fildes, B., Koppel, S. & Scully, J. (2004) Older women and driving: a survey, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 226
• Langford, J., Andrea, D., Fildes, B., Williams, T. & Hull, M. (2005) Assessing responsibility for older drivers' crashes, Austroads, AP-R265/05 (Available from Austroads site)
• Oxley, J., Charlton, J., Fildes, B., Koppel, S., Scully, J., Congiu, M. & Moore, K. (2005) Crash risk of older female drivers, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 245
• Langford, J., Methorst, R. & Hakamies-Blomqvist, L. (2006) 'Older drivers do not have a high crash risk—A replication of low mileage bias', Accident Analysis & Prevention, 38 (3), pp574-578
• Langford, J. & Koppel, S. (2006) 'The case for and against mandatory age-based assessment of older drivers', Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 9 (5), pp353-362
• Charlton, J., Oxley, J., Scully, J., Koppel, S., Congiu, M., Muir, C. & Fildes, B. (2006) Self-regulatory driving practices of older drivers in the ACT and NSW, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 254
• Whelan, M., Langford, J., Oxley, J., Koppel, S. & Charlton, J. (2006) The elderly and mobility: a review of the literature, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 255
• Langford, J., Bohensky, M., Koppel, S. & Newstead, S. (2008) 'Do older drivers pose a risk to other road users?' Traffic Injury Prevention, 9 (3), pp181-189
• Traffic Injury Prevention 9(4) special issue on older drivers www.informaworld.com/
• Langford, J., Charlton, J., Bohensky, M., Irving, J., Martin, L. & Fildes, B. N. (2009) Older Driver Model Assessment Program: Stage 4 - Validation of screening tests to assess at-risk older drivers, Austroads, AP-R336/09

Pedestrians

• Oxley, J., Fildes, B., Ihsen, E., Day, R. & Charlton, J. (1995) An investigation of road crossing behaviour of older pedestrians, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 81
• Kent, S. & Fildes, B. (1997) Review of 'Walk-With-Care': an education and advocacy program for older pedestrians, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 109
• Oxley, J. & Fildes, B. (1999) Safety of older pedestrians: strategy for future research and action initiatives, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 157
• Oxley, J., Corben, B., Fildes, B. & Charlton, J. (2004) 'Older pedestrians - meeting their safety and mobility needs', Proceedings 2004 Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, 14-16 November, Perth, Western Australia, Vol 1, 11p
• Oxley, J., Charlton, J. & Fildes, B. (2005) The effect of cognitive impairment on older pedestrian behaviour and crash risk, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 244

Falls prevention

• Facts on fall injury
• NoFalls Exercise program
• Hazard Edition 45, December 2000 - 'Prevention of falls injuries among older community-dwelling Victorians' [240KB]
• Hazard Edition 48, September 2001 - 'Best buys in fall injury prevention' [480KB]
• Deery, H., Day, L. M. & Fildes, B. N. (2000) 'An impact evaluation of a falls prevention program among older people', Accident Analysis & Prevention, 32 (3), pp427-433
• Day, L., Fildes, B., Gordon, I., Fitzharris, M., Flamer, H. & Lord, S. (2002) 'Randomised factorial trial of falls prevention among older people living in their own homes', British Medical Journal (BMJ), 325 (7356), July 20, 2002, pp128-131 bmj.bmjjournals.com/content/vol325/issue7356/#PAPERS
• Day, L., Hoareau, E., Finch, C., Harrison, J., Segal, L., Bolton, T., Bradley, C., Boufous, S., Ullah, S. & National Injury Prevention Working Group (2009) Modelling the impact, costs and benefits of falls prevention measures to support policy-makers and program planners, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 286

Other issues

• Watson, W., Day, L., Ozanne-Smith, J. & Lough, J. (1999) Consumer product related injuries in older persons, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 162
• Hazard Edition 19, June 1994 - 'Injuries among older people'; 'Injury hospitalisations and deaths' [800KB]
• Fildes, B. [Ed.]. (1994) Injuries among older people. Falls at home and pedestrian accidents, Melbourne, Victoria: Collins Dove. ISBN 1 86371 3190
• Investigating the over-representation of older persons in Do-It-Yourself home maintenance injury and barriers to prevention
• Muir, C. (2005) 'Road safety impact of medical testing of drivers', In J. Langford and B. Fildes [Eds.], Australasian Road Safety Handbook: Volume 2, pp.45-51, Sydney: Austroads Incorporated, AP-R268/05
• Exercise for Independent Living: the impact of exercise in maintaining independence among older people
• Watson, W., Day, L., Ozanne-Smith, J. & Lough, J. (2000) 'Consumer product-related injuries to older persons', Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 7 (2), pp142-144

Links

• Monash Research for an Ageing Society (MonRAS)
• COTA National Seniors (ACT)
• ACT Information older road users - Livedrive
• TAC older drivers
• Austroads - Assessing Fitness to Drive www.austroads.com.au/aftd/hp.html
• Aged Care in Victoria - Falls prevention - www.health.vic.gov.au/agedcare/maintaining/falls/index.htm
• Traffic Safety: Older Population 2008 (NHTSA) [pdf]