Older drivers play it safer

18 November 2009

Australia's largest simulator study of older drivers has confirmed that seniors are slower drivers and are more likely to "self-regulate" their behaviour to avoid risky road situations.

The driving simulator study, undertaken by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Automotive Technology (AutoCRC) and GM Holden, found that drivers aged over 65 were not only less likely to exceed the speed limit, but they made driving decisions based more on caution and risk-aversion compared to younger road users.

“Our research indicates that older drivers will go for less hazard-prone options in negotiating traffic and will make decisions that keep themselves safe," lead researcher MUARC's Dr Judith Charlton said.

The study also revealed that seniors are slower to apply brakes compared to middle-aged and younger drivers. In the simulator environment drivers aged over 75 took on average almost half a second longer to apply the brake than middle-aged drivers to avoid a pedestrian.

Dr Charlton said that while the findings would help in identifying risk trends in the different age brackets, it wasn't possible to make blanket judgements about older, middle-aged or younger drivers.

“Unsafe driving can be found in all age groups, there are wide individual variations. And older drivers are possibly compensating for their slower reaction times by being more careful drivers in general," Dr Charlton said.

Dr Charlton's research team has recently been awarded a $1.8m, five-year Australian Research Council Linkage grant to further investigate older driver safe mobility in collaboration with Canada's CanDrive project team and in partnership with VicRoads, Victoria Police, TAC, Road Safety Trust New Zealand, and Eastern Health.

Drivers who participated in the study will have the opportunity to hear more about the findings at a presentation at Monash on 2 December.