Relation of Individual Differences in Information-Processing Ability to Driving Performance

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Abstract
Fifty subjects ranging in age from 30 to 83 participated in a closed-course driving test and in laboratory tests of information processing. Driving tests included responding to traffic signals, selection of routes, avoidance of moving hazards, and judgment at stationary gaps. Lab tests included measures of perceptual style, selective attention, reaction time, visual acuity, perceptual speed and risk-taking propensity. Analyses were conducted to determine how well lab measures predicted driving performance. Results revealed different patterns of correlations for different age groups. For younger drivers (30-51), lab measures generally showed no association with measures of driving performance. For older drivers (74-83), measures of information-processing were associated with overall rated driving performance, while measures of reaction time showed strong correlations with objective driving measures. The results suggested that different mechanisms are utilized by drivers of different ages, and that the slowing of reaction time associated with aging has effects on driving skills related to vehicle control.
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