Psychosocial constructs and self-reported driving restriction in the Candrive II older adult baseline cohort

•Strong correlations were found between some scales examining perceptions/attitudes.•Positive perceptions/attitudes were associated with more active driving.•Negative perceptions/attitudes were associated with driving restriction. Baseline data from a large cohort of 928 older drivers (aged 70 and older) in the Canadian Driving Research Initiative for Vehicular Safety in the Elderly (Candrive II) study permitted the examination of driving specific constructs of perceptions and attitudes based on Social Cognition Theory, the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, and the Theory of Planned Behavior (e.g., driving confidence/comfort, perceived driving ability, and decisional balance) in relation to each other and to various self-reported measures of driving restrictions (i.e., kilometers driven, situations frequently encountered and avoided, degree of driving restriction). Although several of the psychosocial measures were correlated, the magnitudes of the correlations were low enough to suggest that multiple factors were being assessed. In addition, perceptions and attitudes were associated with driving exposure and patterns such that the more positive/comfortable older adults felt about driving and their driving ability, the greater their self-reported driving exposure (e.g., more kilometers driven per week, increased exposure to challenging driving situations/decreased avoidance of challenging situations, fewer restrictions). Conversely, older adults who expressed more negative views about driving, including feeling less comfortable behind the wheel, self-reported driving fewer kilometers per week, avoiding challenging driving situations, and engaging more in active driving restriction compared to more comfortable/confident older drivers. These findings support previous research and extend our understanding of the specific perceptions and attitudes that can contribute to behavior change, particularly for constructs derived from Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model.