PERFORMANCE OF ELDERLY MOTORISTS IN DIFFI CULT DRIVING SITUATIONS

This case study examines the exposure risk of Quebec drivers aged 68 a nd over in five different difficult driving situations. 307 cases were identified based on driving performance(three or more accidents or tr affic violations over a 3-year period) and paired on a 2:1 basis accor ding to age, sex and area (urban/rural) with a random-selected control group (clean driving record). The response rate to this mail survey w as 60 per cent. Assumptions were validated using the logistic regressi on method. Results show that as drivers get older, they gradually give up driving in risky situations; regardless of age, the number of driv ers who stop driving in difficult conditions is proportionally higher in the control group. On the other hand, vulnerability would seem to i ncrease with the exposure level. The analysis also shows that rural dr ivers are more vulnerable than urban drivers, regardless of exposure f actors. Finally, the perception of health would seem to have little im pact on the elderly driver's performance.