Technology AcceptanceTech-wise Driver (Technology Acceptance of Targeted ADAS for Older Adults)

The tech-wise driver: Exploring the sustained efficacy and technology acceptance of targeted ADAS for older drivers A significant percentage of road traffic fatalities registered in Canada occurred among older adults. According to the studies, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can enhance the safety and mitigate the age-related declines of older drivers. Whether sustained use results in declines in driving performance in older drivers relying on ADAS remains largely unexplored. This is problematic given emerging evidence on ADAS use by older drivers. Furthermore, exploring changes in ADAS technology acceptance in relation to sustained use can inform the correlation between perceived safety and intention to use.

The investigators hypothesize that, compared to driving simulator training alone, lane departure warning (LDW), cruise control (CC), and forward proximity warning (FPW) technology will result in a sustained decrease of critical driving errors in this population; and that exposure to the technology will increase participants' perceived usability and ease of use. To achieve this goal, the investigators will explore the determination of sustained efficacy, establish the impact of technology exposure, evaluate the concurrent validity of a computerized model of driving error type and severity using trained occupational therapy in-vehicle evaluation as the criterion, when evaluating older drivers 'performance.

Our findings may significantly impact the ability of older drivers to choose in-vehicle technologies, and our study will be the first to assess the criterion validity of a simulator-derived computerized model against the findings of an evaluator-based functional assessment.