title: Development of a novel driving behavior adaptations questionnaire.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Driving a car requires adapting one's behavior to current task demands taking into account one's capacities. With increasing age, driving-relevant cognitive performance may decrease, creating a need for risk-reducing behavioral adaptations. Three different kinds of behavioral adaptations are known: selection, optimization, and compensation. These can occur on the tactical and the strategic level. Risk-reducing behavioral adaptations should be considered when evaluating older drivers' traffic-related risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire to assess driving-related behavioral adaptations in older drivers was created. The questionnaire was administered to 61 years older (age 65-87 years; mean age = 70.2 years; SD = 5.5 years; 30 female, 31 male) and 31 younger participants (age 22-55 years; mean age = 30.5 years; SD = 6.3 years; 16 female and 15 male) to explore age and gender differences in behavioral adaptations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two factors were extracted from the questionnaire, a risk-increasing factor and a risk-reducing factor. Group comparisons revealed significantly more risk-reducing behaviors in older participants (t(84.5) = 2.21, p = 0.013) and females (t(90) = 2.52, p = 0.014) compared, respectively, to younger participants and males. No differences for the risk-increasing factor were found (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The questionnaire seems to be a useful tool to assess driving-related behavioral adaptations aimed at decreasing the risk while driving. The possibility to assess driving-related behavioral adaptations in a systematic way enables a more resource-oriented approach in the evaluation of fitness to drive in older drivers.
authors.affiliation: Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group,University of Bern,Murtenstrasse 21,CH - 3010 Bern,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rahel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bieri
authors.affiliation: Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group,University of Bern,Murtenstrasse 21,CH - 3010 Bern,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nef
authors.affiliation: Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group,University of Bern,Murtenstrasse 21,CH - 3010 Bern,Switzerland.
authors.forename: René M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Müri
authors.affiliation: Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group,University of Bern,Murtenstrasse 21,CH - 3010 Bern,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Urs P
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Mosimann
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: gender