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Researchers from the College of Tsukuba examined variations within the probability of older drivers inflicting visitors crashes primarily based on the presence of a passenger, using nationwide visitors crash information between 2014 and 2020. Their evaluation revealed that even drivers with cognitive impairment had a decreased threat of inflicting crashes when accompanied by a passenger.
To scale back visitors crashes involving older drivers, driving classes and cognitive assessments have lengthy been a part of driver’s license renewal processes. Just lately, efforts have expanded to incorporate selling automobiles outfitted with superior driver help applied sciences.
On this research, the researchers constructed upon findings from research carried out exterior Japan, which indicated that older drivers are much less prone to be concerned in crashes when accompanied by a passenger. Moreover, some nations have applied conditional licensing techniques that require older drivers to have a passenger of their automobile.
The researchers hypothesized that even amongst drivers with impaired cognitive perform, the chance of inflicting a crash could be decrease when accompanied by a passenger.
Now printed within the Journal of Security Analysis, the research targeted on license holders aged 75 years and older who underwent cognitive assessments and renewed their licenses between 2014 and 2017. Amongst these drivers, these concerned in car-to-car crashes in the course of the three years after their license renewal had been categorized as both first occasion (at-fault) or second occasion (not-at-fault).
The researchers then in contrast the presence of a passenger on the time of the crash primarily based on cognitive evaluation outcomes, together with these recognized as having suspected dementia. Passenger presence was additionally analyzed by gender.
The evaluation revealed that, no matter cognitive capabilities, second-party drivers had been extra prone to have been accompanied by a passenger than first-party drivers, for each female and male contributors. Nevertheless, no important variations had been present in different elements probably contributing to crash prevalence, resembling age, prior crash historical past, or the time, climate, and placement of the crash.
These outcomes recommend that older drivers, even these flagged for potential cognitive decline or suspected dementia throughout assessments, might have a decreased probability of being the primary occasion in car-to-car crashes if accompanied by a passenger. Whereas the outcomes don’t set up causality, they spotlight the potential function of passengers in selling safer driving amongst older drivers.
Extra data:
Masao Ichikawa et al, Affiliation between the presence of passengers and at-fault crash threat amongst older drivers with and with out cognitive decline, Journal of Security Analysis (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2025.04.002
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College of Tsukuba
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Cognitively impaired older drivers much less prone to trigger a crash when accompanied by a passenger, research finds (2025, April 16)
retrieved 17 April 2025
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