The cognitive training needs of older drivers

According to a recent publication (OECD, 2001), in many OECD member countries one in four persons will be aged 65 or over in 2030. The significant increase in the number of driving licence holders means the percentage of older drivers will follow this trend. With age, many structural and functional changes occur leading to declines in the ability to perform common daily tasks and to a continuous need for medication. Both these factors affect driving skills. Moreover, changes in driving laws, or modifications (even temporary) in the road environment, may cause confusion and disorientation. Following a review of the literature on age-related declines and their effects on the driver’s activity and compensatory behaviours, this article suggests that the cognitive plasticity concept should be further developed in order to design adequate training programmes centred on systematic cognitive stimulation. The scientific evidence for adult cognitive plasticity suggests that cognitive training may become an important means of reversing or preventing age-related cognitive declines. On its own, an adequate road environment may not be able to improve road safety, an appropriate training programme is also required in order to slow down and/or prevent age-related declines in cognitive abilities, particularly those involved in driving. Also, telematic systems may allow older people to delay mobility loss by adding to their existing compensatory strategies, but a generation effect could cause the elderly to avoid using them. Therefore, training programmes should include adequate materials to familiarize older drivers with new technology, being designed according to current scientific knowledge in the area of cognitive training and aim to meet the identified needs of older drivers. Finally, older drivers should be encouraged to take part in specific re-training programmes, which should be widely available. To achieve this, further research is required, involving longitudinal studies with representative samples in different countries.