Has the time come for an older driver vehicle?

The population of the world is growing older. As people grow older they are more likely to experience declines that can make operating a personal automobile more difficult. Once driving abilities begin to decline, older adults are often faced with decreased mobility. Due to the preference for and pervasiveness of the personal automobile for satisfying mobility needs, there is a global necessity to keep older adults driving for as long as they can safely do so. In this report we explore the question: Has the time come for an older driver vehicle? Great gains in safe mobility could be made by designing automobiles that take into account, and help overcome, some of the deficits in abilities common in older people. The report begins by providing a background and rationale for an older driver vehicle, including discussions of relevant trends, age-related declines in functional abilities, and the adverse consequences of decreased mobility. The next section discusses research and issues related to vehicle design and advanced technology with respect to older drivers. The next section explores crashworthiness issues and the unique requirements for older adults. The following section discusses the many issues related to marketing a vehicle that has been designed for older drivers. The report concludes that there is a clear global opportunity to improve the safety, mobility, and quality of life of older adults by designing vehicles and vehicle technologies that help overcome common age-related deficits. The marketing of these vehicles to older consumers, however, will be challenging and will likely require further market research. The development of vehicle design features, new automotive technologies, and crashworthiness systems in the future should be guided by both knowledge of the effects of frailty/fragility of the elderly on crash outcomes, as well as knowledge of common drivingrelated declines in psychomotor, visual, and cognitive abilities. Design strategies that allow for some degree of customization may be particularly beneficial. It is clear that training and education efforts for using new vehicle features will need to be improved.The University of Michigan Sustainable Worldwide Transportationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89960/1/102821.pd

An On-the-Road Comparison of In-Vehicle Navigation Assistance Systems

We compared system performance and driver opinion of 3 in-vehicle navigation aids - two advanced traveler information systems (ATISs; Ali-Scout and TetraStar) and written instructions - when used on the road concurrently under identical conditions. Few drivers in the study had difficulty finding initial routes or became lost. Users of Ali-Scout, an ATIS that utilizes traffic information in routing, drove longer-distance routes, got lost more frequently, and gave their system less positive ratings than did TetraStar users. Users of the 2 ATISs traversed routes that were significantly shorter in duration than those driven by users of written instructions. The time savings benefit of the advanced technology systems over written instructions was greatest during peak traffic conditions. Drivers who were familiar with the road network, overall, had less difficulty finding destinations and drove shorter-duration routes than drivers who were unfamiliar with the road network. Actual or potential applications of this research include improving the design of technologies that provide navigation assistance to travelers.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67382/2/10.1518_001872099779591222.pd

[The effects of standard safety belt enforcement on police harassment: year two annual report]

Notes: Yearly report: June 2002Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-92)Full Text: Occupant ProtectionMichigan Department of State, Lansinghttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/1494/2/95901.0001.001.pd

Child safety seat use in Michigan

Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 25-26)Notes: Final report. Oct. 1, 2000-Sept. 30, 2001Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, LansingNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/1359/2/95196.0001.001.pd

An evaluation of user perceptions and behaviors of FAST-TRAC: pilot study results

Full Text: http://www.umtri.umich.edu/library/pdf/1996-14.pdfOakland County Road Commission, Beverly Hills, Mich.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/1162/2/89656.0001.001.pd

Direct observation of safety belt use in Michigan: Fall 2005

Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-35)Final report. Nov. 23, 2004-Nov. 30, 2005A direct observation survey of safety belt use in Michigan was conducted in the fall of 2005. In this study, 13,677 occupants traveling in four vehicle types (passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles, vans/minivans, and pickup trucks) were surveyed between September 1 and 16, 2005. Belt use was estimated for all commercial/noncommercial vehicle types combined (the statewide safety belt use rate) and separately for each vehicle type. The current survey was designed to provide data for comparison with surveys conducted in previous years. Within and across each vehicle type, belt use by age, sex, road type, day of week, time of day, and seating position were calculated. Statewide belt use was 87.9 percent. Safety belt use was 90.3 percent for passenger cars, 86.8 percent for sport-utility vehicles, 88.1 percent for vans/minivans, and 82.2 percent for pickup trucks. For all vehicle types combined, belt use was higher for females than for males. In general, belt use was the highest during the morning commute and about the same throughout the rest of the day. Belt use did not vary systematically by day of week. Belt use was lowest among 16-to-29 year olds, and highest for the 60-and-older age group.Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, Lansinghttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/13898/2/71544A29.pd

The assessment of older drivers' capabilities: a review of the literature

Notes: For the GM/US DOT project entitled: Improvement of Older Driver Safety Through Self-EvaluationFull Text: http://www.umtri.umich.edu/library/pdf/1998-24.pdfGeneral Motors Corporation, Warren, Mich.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/1245/2/91182.0001.001.pd

An evaluation of Michigan's repeat alcohol offender laws

Notes: Cover titleNotes: "September 2002."Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 170)Notes: Final reportFull Text: Legal Factors/Law EnforcementMichigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, Lansinghttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/1508/2/96361.0001.001.pd

Direct observation of safety belt use in Michigan: Fall 2004

Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-39)Final report. Oct. 29, 2003-Sep. 30, 2004A direct observation survey of safety belt use in Michigan was conducted in the fall of 2004. In this study, 13,874 occupants traveling in four vehicle types (passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles, vans/minivans, and pickup trucks) were surveyed between September 2 and 20, 2004. Belt use was estimated for all commercial/noncommercial vehicle types combined (the statewide safety belt use rate) and separately for each vehicle type. The current survey was designed to provide data for comparison with surveys conducted in previous years, as well as to provide follow-up data for comparison with the baseline survey conducted in August 2004. Within and across each vehicle type, belt use by age, sex, road type, day of week, time of day, and seating position were calculated. Statewide belt use was 90.5 percent. This rate represents the highest level of statewide safety belt use ever observed in Michigan. Further, this level of belt use makes Michigan only the fifth state in the country to obtain a statewide rate of 90 percent or higher. When compared with the baseline survey, a statically significant increase in overall belt use is noted. Safety belt use was 91.3 percent for passenger cars, 92.3 percent for sport-utility vehicles, 91.3 percent for vans/minivans, and 85.3 percent for pickup trucks. For all vehicle types combined, belt use was higher for females than for males, and about the same for drivers and passengers. In general, belt use was the highest during the morning commute and about the same throughout the rest of the day. Belt use did not vary systematically by day of week. Belt use was lowest among 16-to-29 year olds, and about the same for the 30-to-59 and 60-and-older age groups. Survey results suggest that the implementation of primary enforcement along with other enforcement and public information and education efforts have been effective in maintaining and continuing to increase safety belt use in Michigan.Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, Lansinghttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/3120/2/71544a28.pd