Elderly Drivers Overlook Pedestrians Twice as Often as Younger Drivers
Although older drivers have more experience behind the wheel, new research indicates that they tend to have narrower field of vision than younger drivers. Sometimes this causes them to miss things happening around them, like bicyclists or pedestrians.
The journal Accident Analysis and Prevention published a new study on Monday that found that drivers over the age of 65 were half as likely to see pedestrians moving on the sidewalk or the side of the road. Drivers between the ages of 28 and 45 could not only see the pedestrians moving, but could take the time to react to them. In order to test this new discovery, the two age groups were placed in a simulator and organized videos that had pedestrians and other moving objects in the participants' peripheral vision. The researchers found that elderly drivers often took longer to respond to road hazards, or they did not see them at all. Overall, drivers over the age of 65 tapped on their brake pedals half as often as younger drivers did when faced with a road obstacle.
Researchers did hypothesize that part of the reason that older drivers drive more slowly is to compensate for their loss of vision. They tested the study and found that elderly drivers drive about 20% more slowly than younger drivers.
The study also discussed the notion that older drivers are not concerned with the safety of pedestrians, because any pedestrian that was not directly in their central field of vision of went completely unnoticed. The authors indicated that by the time the driver did notice them it may have been too late. The researchers also suggest that public authorities maintain road signage and make it easy to see in the driver's central vision, so that elderly drivers do not miss important crosswalk signs.
If you are in an accident, you need support. AA-Accident Attorneys provides their clients the expert legal help to win results. You can feel confident that the Los Angeles car accident lawyer who represent you know your concerns, and the issues you face with crowded roads, freeways, and highways that can lead to automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, and truck accidents. The car accident lawyer knows these issues from the inside and out—as legal professionals and as citizens who share the road and live in the communities.
AA-Accident Attorneys serves clients in many locations across the United States, and has car accident lawyer to represent you in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange County, San Fernando Valley, Ontario, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Las Vegas.
The journal Accident Analysis and Prevention published a new study on Monday that found that drivers over the age of 65 were half as likely to see pedestrians moving on the sidewalk or the side of the road. Drivers between the ages of 28 and 45 could not only see the pedestrians moving, but could take the time to react to them. In order to test this new discovery, the two age groups were placed in a simulator and organized videos that had pedestrians and other moving objects in the participants' peripheral vision. The researchers found that elderly drivers often took longer to respond to road hazards, or they did not see them at all. Overall, drivers over the age of 65 tapped on their brake pedals half as often as younger drivers did when faced with a road obstacle.
Researchers did hypothesize that part of the reason that older drivers drive more slowly is to compensate for their loss of vision. They tested the study and found that elderly drivers drive about 20% more slowly than younger drivers.
The study also discussed the notion that older drivers are not concerned with the safety of pedestrians, because any pedestrian that was not directly in their central field of vision of went completely unnoticed. The authors indicated that by the time the driver did notice them it may have been too late. The researchers also suggest that public authorities maintain road signage and make it easy to see in the driver's central vision, so that elderly drivers do not miss important crosswalk signs.
If you are in an accident, you need support. AA-Accident Attorneys provides their clients the expert legal help to win results. You can feel confident that the Los Angeles car accident lawyer who represent you know your concerns, and the issues you face with crowded roads, freeways, and highways that can lead to automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, and truck accidents. The car accident lawyer knows these issues from the inside and out—as legal professionals and as citizens who share the road and live in the communities.
AA-Accident Attorneys serves clients in many locations across the United States, and has car accident lawyer to represent you in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange County, San Fernando Valley, Ontario, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Las Vegas.
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