VINTAGE MODELS: OLDER DRIVERS... A DILEMMA FOR TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY

The ageing populations of the world's developed countries are a major concern for automotive and traffic engineers. As drivers age, their driving performance tends to decline. This article discusses how to take this factor into account when designing the highways of the future. In 1998, anticipating this increasing problem, the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published The Older Driver Highway Design Handbook which suggests over 100 specific highway design changes or improvements. According to the FHWA, these recommendations provide guidance that is firmly based on an understanding of older drivers' needs and capabilities, and can greatly increase the highway system's safety and ease of use, especially for older drivers but also for drivers in general. It is predicted that, for most OECD nations, the period 2040-2050 will be most critical, with most of them having between 20% and 30% of elderly people. Illnesses of older people that can impair their driving performance include poor vision, early undiagnosed Alzheimer's disease, and the effects of certain medical drugs. The FHWA recommendations cover almost all aspects of junction design (including layout, lighting, signs, and markings), and expressways and freeways. The Handbook identified many relevant human factors, in perception, attention, cognition, etc.