Perfect support in assessing fitness to drive

Demographic developments are adding to the need for traffic psychological assessment. The rising number of older drivers is focusing attention on two issues: What can be done about age-related deterioration in performance? And how can the mobility of older drivers be maintained for as long as possible?

Neuropsychological studies show that diminished driving ability does not need to mean that the driving license must be relinquished. Attention functions, which are an important aspect of safe driving, respond positively to cognitive training. Such training is proven to stimulate and improve cognitive performance. Traffic psychological assessment has a lot to offer when it comes to devising and recommending concrete measures for maintaining or regaining fitness to drive.

Considering the test needs of older drivers

Never before have older people been as mobile as they are today. We are currently witnessing the aging of the first generation to have driven throughout their lives. The increasing mobility of older drivers raises issues not only of the maintenance of mobility but also of possible age-related deterioration of abilities. To ensure that test conditions are fair, it is important that both the tests themselves and the methods of working them (e.g. using ergonomic input devices) are appropriate to older people.

Maintaining the safety and mobility of older drivers is a vital issue that is set to become increasingly important. In order to extend the user friendliness of the Vienna Test System TRAFFIC for older people, SCHUHFRIED supports international research projects that address the issue of the older driver.