New research calls for later-in-life driving lessons
New research has shown that older drivers should be coming forward to test and update their driving skills to keep people safer on the road, and keep senior drivers behind the wheel for longer.
A new website launched by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and neuroscience institute NeuRA aims to help drivers aged in their 50s and above stay safe when driving, while also helping to update their skills to keep them on the roads for longer.
Cognitive aging expert and UNSW professor Kaarin Anstey told 9News later-in-life driving lessons were crucial as our population grows and ages.
"We obviously want people to stay on the road as long as it's safe for them to do so. And that's the issue: they have to be safe on the road," Anstey explained.
"That's the point of the website, to empower older drivers, family members and health professionals."
"We've been working on this issue of older drivers for over 20 years because the second biggest cause of injury in older adults is motor vehicle accidents or crashes (after falls)."
Anstey said her research in The Better Drive Study analysed how the driving habits of older motorists changed if they had a refresher course.
"A lot of people got their licence in an era where the cars were different, the roads were different, the road rules were different," she said.
"We just feel there's a certain amount of improvement that probably all of us, not just the older age group but lots of people, could benefit in refreshing their driving skills."
Anstey's pilot study, that followed motorists aged over 65 over 12 months, found older people were more likely to develop bad habits such as not checking blind spots or not keeping up to date with key road rules.
She said people who did the driving lessons had a "big improvement" in their safety on the road.
Later-in-life lessons could also identify if a person should be looking at giving up their licence, as Anstey added, "Sometimes there's people who we find who are not very safe drivers, or who have an impairment that they may not have been aware of."
When asked what they thought of the initiative, some older drivers told 9News, "I think it's a good idea, there are some older people who definitely need a refresher but there are some that are still quite good."
"I'd rather not go through those grills but I guess for everyone's safety it's a very good thing," another added.
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