A Fundamental Analysis on Driving Behavior and Individual Property of Elderly Drivers Based on Driving Recorder Data

Abstract

The proportion of elderly drivers’ accidents to total in Japan has been increasing steadily over time, therefore it is urgent to strengthen effective safety measures. Because there is a wide range of variations in influences with advancing age acting on physical, cognitive and psychological abilities, driving properties of elderly drivers vary a great deal. To gain a new insight from breaking the driving behaviors down into patterns, as well as to view the problems of elderly drivers in broad perspective such as a statistical accident analysis is important.
The authors acquired driving behavior data in everyday life of elderly drivers using the driving recorders, and examined the diverseness of abrupt deceleration patterns and the relationship between safety confirmation behaviors and individual properties. Consequently we found that road or traffic circumstances in case of an abrupt deceleration differ according to individuals and the relationship to safety confirmation varies by individual property index.