Knoefel Frank, Wallace Bruce, Goubran Rafik, Sabra Iman, Marshall Shawn
Bruyère Memory Program, Ottawa, ON K1N 5C8, Canada.
Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1N 5C8, Canada.
Geriatrics (Basel). 2019 Nov 16;4(4):63. doi: 10.3390/geriatrics4040063.
Losing the capacity to drive due to age-related cognitive decline can have a detrimental impact on the daily life functioning of older adults living alone and in remote areas. Semi-autonomous vehicles (SAVs) could have the potential to preserve driving independence of this population with high health needs. This paper explores if SAVs could be used as a cognitive assistive device for older aging drivers with cognitive challenges. We illustrate the impact of age-related changes of cognitive functions on driving capacity. Furthermore, following an overview on the current state of SAVs, we propose a model for connecting cognitive health needs of older drivers to SAVs. The model demonstrates the connections between cognitive changes experienced by aging drivers, their impact on actual driving, car sensors' features, and vehicle automation. Finally, we present challenges that should be considered when using the constantly changing smart vehicle technology, adapting it to aging drivers and vice versa. This paper sheds light on age-related cognitive characteristics that should be considered when developing future SAVs manufacturing policies which may potentially help decrease the impact of cognitive change on older adult drivers.
由于与年龄相关的认知衰退而失去驾驶能力，可能会对独居在偏远地区的老年人的日常生活功能产生不利影响。半自动驾驶汽车（SAV）有可能使这一有较高健康需求的人群保持驾驶独立性。本文探讨了SAV是否可以用作有认知障碍的老年驾驶员的认知辅助设备。我们阐述了与年龄相关的认知功能变化对驾驶能力的影响。此外，在概述SAV的当前状态之后，我们提出了一个将老年驾驶员的认知健康需求与SAV联系起来的模型。该模型展示了老年驾驶员所经历的认知变化、其对实际驾驶的影响、汽车传感器的功能以及车辆自动化之间的联系。最后，我们提出了在使用不断变化的智能车辆技术、使其适应老年驾驶员以及反之亦然时应考虑的挑战。本文揭示了在制定未来SAV制造政策时应考虑的与年龄相关的认知特征，这可能有助于减少认知变化对老年驾驶员的影响。
