Improving the safety on the roads for older drivers through a healthier lifestyle and improved peripheral vision is the focus of a first-of-its-kind study at The Australian National University.
The study is being conducted by Professor Kaarin Anstey and PhD Student Chris Hatherly of the Centre for Mental Health Research (CMHR) at ANU. Between February and June this year, the study will aim to help people improve their health knowledge and driving abilities, enabling a more healthy and active lifestyle and potentially improving driving safety for older adults.
Professor Anstey said the study will tackle the problem of improving poor health and driving safety for older drivers in two distinct ways.
“The health training component of the study will involve informal lessons on topics such as healthy eating and physical activity,” she said. “It will also cover issues such as brain health – including activities to reduce the risk of dementia – and first aid for older people.
“The driving skills component will not involve time in a car, but will focus instead on improving people’s peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is particularly important for older drivers as it’s an ability that declines with age and which is implicated in a lot of accidents amongst this age group.
“Improved peripheral vision may also reduce the risk of accidents such as trips and falls,” she added.
