A brief peripheral motion contrast threshold test predicts older drivers' hazardous behaviors in simulated driving.
Our research group has previously demonstrated that the peripheral motion contrast threshold (PMCT) test predicts older drivers' self-report accident risk, as well as simulated driving performance. However, the PMCT is too lengthy to be a part of a battery of tests to assess fitness to drive. Therefore, we have developed a new version of this test, which takes under two minutes to administer. We assessed the motion contrast thresholds of 24 younger drivers (19-32) and 25 older drivers (65-83) with both the PMCT-10min and the PMCT-2min test and investigated if thresholds were associated with measures of simulated driving performance. Younger participants had significantly lower motion contrast thresholds than older participants and there were no significant correlations between younger participants' thresholds and any measures of driving performance. The PMCT-10min and the PMCT-2min thresholds of older drivers' predicted simulated crash risk, as well as the minimum distance of approach to all hazards. This suggests that our tests of motion processing can help predict the risk of collision or near collision in older drivers. Thresholds were also correlated with the total lane deviation time, suggesting a deficiency in processing of peripheral flow and delayed detection of adjacent cars. The PMCT-2min is an improved version of a previously validated test, and it has the potential to help assess older drivers' fitness to drive.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Steven
S
Henderson
Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: hwood053@uottawa.ca.
Heather
H
Woods-Fry
Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Charles A
CA
Collin
Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Sylvain
S
Gagnon
Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Misha
M
Voloaca
Systems Technology Incorporated, Hawthorne, CA, USA.
John
J
Grant
Systems Technology Incorporated, Hawthorne, CA, USA.
Ted
T
Rosenthal
Systems Technology Incorporated, Hawthorne, CA, USA.
Wade
W
Allen
D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination; D001334:Automobile Driving; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D004056:Differential Threshold; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055815:Young Adult
Contrast thresholds; Older drivers; Peripheral motion; Simulated driving