Relationship between Age and Hazard Perception in Automobile Drivers

Abstract

Hazard perception in automobile drivers of different ages was studied by assessing reports of potentially dangerous situations encountered while driving. Two experiments were conducted, one with 20 women and the other with 18 men and women. The results of both showed that older drivers perceived relatively more danger stemming from moving objects, while younger drivers perceived relatively more in non-moving objects. Driving skills measured in terms of steering-wheel reversals and speed changes did not vary with age, leading to the conclusion that skill itself was not a factor in the differential perception.