The Role of Cognitive and Visual Abilities as Predictors in the Multifactorial Model of Driving Safety
AUTHOR:
K. J. Anstey, M. Horswill, J. M. Wood and C. Hatherly
SPONSOR/INSTITUTION:
School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
YEAR PUBLISHED:
2012
PUBLICATION:
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
The current study evaluated part of the Multifactorial Model of Driving Safety to elucidate the relative importance of cognitive function and a limited range of standard measures of visual function in relation to the capacity to drive safely.
Community dwelling drivers aged 65 to 96 were assessed using a battery of measures of cognitive and visual function.
Factor analysis of these predictor variables yielded factors including executive/speed, vision (measured by visual acuity and contrast sensitivity), spatial, visual closure and working memory.
Cognitive and vision factors explained 83 to 95% of age related variance in the capacity to drive safely.