Learning Effects of Multiple Driving Simulator Runs in Older Adults

Driving simulators (DS) have been used in medical institutions to evaluate a participant's driving abilities. Despite the empirical fact that the learning effects of multiple DS runs have been observed in clinical practice, few studies have examined the learning effects. The learning effects of multiple DS runs were examined among 25 older adults and 27 young participants. The participants drove the same course thrice without receiving any advice on the operation. The older adults had significantly more accidents than the young (p < 0.05) in all the trials. The number of accidents was significantly higher (p < 0.05) among older adults in the first trial than in the second. No significant difference was observed in the number of accidents between the second and third trials (p = 0.94). No significant difference in the number of accidents was found among all trials in the younger age groups. Among the different types of accidents noted, “Rear-end collisions due to inadequate deceleration” were observed more frequently among the older adults. “Collisions with a wall or vehicle due to improper maneuvering when turning right or left” were observed more frequently among young drivers. The results suggest that, the older adults may reveal their true driving abilities after at least three trials in the course used in this study. Furthermore, the results suggest that the quality of accidents differ between the older adults and the young.