Use of GPS for Older Adults to Decrease Driving Risk: Perceptions from Users and Non-Users

Abstract

Community mobility is important for social participation and quality of life. Thus, it is important to sustain older adults in their communities by supporting their ability to drive as long as possible. Use of global positioning system (GPS) technology may provide such support. This descriptive study examined 89 healthy community older adults’ perspective on using and programming a GPS after using it for wayfinding to unfamiliar destinations. Participants were equally divided between two age groups (60s, 70s) and familiarity with GPS (familiar, unfamiliar). The results showed age differences in problems following GPS directions and those who were familiar found it significantly easier to use. The majority of the unfamiliar group indicated an increased interest in using GPS and were significantly more interested in training to use a GPS. Preference for learning how to use a GPS included in-person delivery and practice with troubleshooting, using the menus and changing routes as topics critical for training. The implications of these results are discussed.

Orientation Experiences and Navigation Aid Use: A Self-Report Lifespan Study on the Role of Age and Visuospatial Factors

“…Concerning GPS use, recent evidence suggested its detrimental role in spatial knowledge acquisition in the young [24]. However, it seems to be a good device for helping older adults to orient to the environment [35]. Therefore, a detailed investigation of its role in the adult lifespan would be of interest for future studies.…”

“…Concerning GPS use, it seems to positively support navigation. When older adults are trained to use GPS tools, they increase their successful driving (e.g., reaching the destination) [35]. Furthermore, older adults reported using GPS to plan their trips to minimize their self-reported fear of getting lost [8].…”

“…Several individual factors relating to their spatial behaviors should be considered and thoroughly investigated in future studies to support older people's mobility and interest in exploring the environment. For example, their use of GPS for navigation should be analyzed in-depth, given our increased reliance on GPS, even in aging [24,35], and the mixed findings on its influence on young and older adults' navigation accuracy [35]. Regarding the various individual differences relating to successful spatial behaviors, future studies could examine how to improve older adults' everyday spatial behaviors, by giving them training on the efficient use of orientation strategies (such as maps and GPS), basic cognitive abilities (such as VSWM), and on metacognitive reflection of their wayfinding inclinations, for instance.…”

The Effects of Using Electronic Maps While Driving on The Driver Performance

“…The use of e-maps in the form of Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation can improve the driver performance (Cochran and Dickerson, 2019), (Dickerson, 2020), but also interferes the driver concentration. Higher interference is experienced when driving in urban areas (Yared and Patterson, 2020), and using small GPS displays also add distraction to drivers.…”