Age differences in simulated driving performance: Compensatory processes

► Age-related compensatory measures for driving can be generic or ability-specific. ► Older drivers adopted longer headways. ► ‘Cognitive reserve’ enabled some older drivers to compensate for declining abilities. ► High cognitive ability older drivers anticipated more frequently. ► Older drivers with high crystallised ability placed lower demands on fluid ability. In the context of driving, the reported experiment examines compensatory processes for age-related declines in cognitive ability. Younger (26–40 years) and older (60+ years) participants (n=22 each group) performed a car following task in a driving simulator. Several performance measures were recorded, including assessments of anticipation of unfolding traffic events. Participants also completed a range of measures of cognitive ability – including both fluid and crystallised abilities. Three examples of age-related compensation are reported: (i) older drivers adopted longer headways than younger drivers. Data were consistent with this being compensation for an age-related deficit in complex reaction time; (ii) older drivers with relatively higher cognitive ability anticipated traffic events more frequently, whereas the reverse pattern was found for younger drivers; and, (iii) older drivers with greater crystallised ability were less reliant on spatial ability to maintain lane position. Consistent with theories of ‘cognitive reserve’, interactions between crystallised ability and age for self-report workload suggested that compensation for age-related cognitive ability deficits required investment of additional effort. Results are considered in the context of the prospects of further assessment of older drivers.