The Cure For Driving While Elderly: Video Games?

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Because driving is one of the freedoms Americans take most seriously, the government faces fundamental challenges to any attempt to reduce traffic fatalities. As the Secretary of Transportation’s crusade against distracted driving proves, raising awareness does nothing until the market has as much incentive to fix the problem as contribute to it. Luckily, when it comes to the problem of out-of-control elderly drivers, the free market seems ready to offer an actual solution: video games. A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society [ PDF here] indicates that cognitive training for seniors can actually make a major impact on elderly accident rates.

The study of 908 motorists aged 65 or older was conducted by giving one group memory training, one group reasoning training and one group speed-of-processing training and comparing the occurrence of accidents to a control group. The result: memory training had few effects on the number of at-fault vehicle crashes, reasoning training had a moderate effect and speed-of-processing had the greatest effect (see above). The study used software from Posit Science including DriveSharp and InSight, both of which bill themselves as a mix of brain-building and entertainment. Unfortunately, one of the authors of the study owns stock in Posit Science, so there is definitely some conflict of interest involved in the study. Our suggestion: let’s run it again, only this time let’s see if regular Nürburgring laps in Gran Tourismo does as well at improving senior driving performance.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • .5MT .5MT on Nov 16, 2010

    Doesn't work in lynx, damn yankees, hell with it. Where's my toast? I mean what the hell?

  • FleetofWheel FleetofWheel on Nov 17, 2010

    Be careful what you wish for. If states employed computer driver simulation tests that also measured some level of aggressive impulse (the bureaucratic witch hunt of the day) then some young drivers might get restricted licenses or fail altogether due to their anti-social tendencies as simulated behind the wheel. The DMV might even pull up your social networking habits where our young driver proudly boasts how much they enjoy violent driving mayhem video games.

    • Kendahl Kendahl on Nov 17, 2010

      Young people (I'm 65) are already learning the hard way that publishing their transgressions on social networking web sites can have unpleasant consequences. Take a hint from the people with concealed carry permits who need to avoid letting others know they are armed. Keep a low profile! What nobody else knows can't be used against you.

  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X I've mentioned before about being very underwhelmed by the Hornet for a $50000+ all in price tag. Just wasn't for me. I'd prefer a Mazda CX-5 or even a Rogue.
  • MaintenanceCosts Other sources seem to think that the "electric Highlander" will be built on TNGA and that the other 3-row will be on an all-new EV-specific platform. In that case, why bother building the first one at all?
  • THX1136 Two thoughts as I read through the article. 1) I really like the fins on this compared to the others. For me this is a jet while the others were propeller driven craft in appearance.2) The mention of the wider whitewalls brought to mind a vague memory. After the wider version fell out of favor I seem to remember that one could buy add-on wide whitewalls only that fit on top of the tire so the older look could be maintained. I remember they would look relatively okay until the add-on would start to ripple and bow out indicating their exact nature. Thanks for the write up, Corey. Looking forward to what's next.
  • Analoggrotto It's bad enough we have to read your endless Hyundai Kia Genesis shilling, we don't want to hear actually it too. We spend good money on speakers, headphones and amplifiers!
  • Redapple2 Worthy of a book
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