Serialization of Vehicle Control at Intersections in Older Drivers

Abstract

Summary:Negotiating intersections is a complex driving task that is particularly difficult for older drivers. This task requires accurate coordination of multiple driving subtasks, placing high demands on perception, attention and motor control that are known to decline with age. We analyzed intersection negotiation behavior in an instrumented vehicle and found striking differences in how drivers of different ages synchronize speed and heading control when turning right. The older drivers performed most of their steering while standing still instead of while accelerating as younger drivers do. This shift from parallel to serial control is a compensatory solution that drivers employ in response to age related decline in perception, cognition, and motor control abilities. Serialization of turning at an intersection reduces attentional demands largely by eliminating the need to switch attention between different driving sub-tasks.

Crash avoidance in response to challenging driving events: The roles of age, serialization, and driving simulator platform

“…However, findings similar to ours have been obtained in the context of on-road performance (Clay et al, 2005;Horswill et al, 2008;Yan et al, 2007). For instance, the serialization exhibited by older crashers was also observed on the road using an instrumented vehicle (e.g., Hakamies-Blomqvist et al, 1999;Boer et al, 2011). Moreover, Clay et al (2005) found that the UFOV (divided attention subtest) was a strong predictor of older drivers' crash risk on the road.…”

“…More recently, Boer et al (2011) examined age differences in intersection negotiation behavior in data collected from an instrumented vehicle. The authors found that older drivers performed the majority of their steering while their vehicle remained still which was in stark contrast to the younger drivers who performed their steering while accelerating.…”

The Prevalence of Distraction Among Passenger Vehicle Drivers: A Roadside Observational Approach

“…While we acknowledge that searching the roadside is essential for safe navigation, it still may lead to distracted and unsafe driving. Therefore, this proportion still represents a group of drivers at-risk for a crash (Boer, Cleij, Dawson, & Rizzo, 2011; Klauer et al, 2006) Lastly, this study has limited generalizability as the study population was restricted to a single county in Alabama and no randomization was used in scheduling the days and times for data collection. In addition, the use of a statistical weight would have been preferred to account for the different sampling rates used during heavier traffic; however, it was not feasible for observers to calculate the total number of vehicles in the area at each time a vehicle was chosen for observation.…”

Serialization of Behavior During Car Following in Older Drivers

“…A consequence of cognitive aging is adoption of strategies to allocate attention more efficiently, rather than dividing limited resources across multiple tasks (Boer et al, 2011;Thompson et al, 2012). In the driving domain, one such strategy involves performing complex driving behaviors in discrete, serial steps.…”

“…These studies have demonstrated "serialization" of certain vehicle controls in older adults during complex driving maneuvers (Boer et al, 2011;Thompson et al, 2012). In one study, older adults performing right hand turns made steering and speed adjustments in discrete serial stages, whereas younger adults accelerated and adjusted steering simultaneously (Boer et al, 2011).…”