Use of Technology-Based Strategies for Older Driver Risk Mitigation

Older drivers present a unique challenge to transportation system throughout the world. A need for balancing mobility needs and safety issues for elderly drivers has been well documented. Past research has shown that older drivers are more involved in left turn crashes and crashes involving complex maneuvers, in comparison to other driver age groups. Recent integration of mobile technology solutions and increased familiarity of older driver population with technology, especially in younger cohorts, presents a unique opportunity to develop potential solutions. The objective of this research is to identify automated route finding that may be used by older drivers to identify “safest” routes through increased risk assessment and guidance on route choice, time of travel and required maneuvers at intersections, to reduce the overall crash representation of this driver population. This research is based on specific case study and it used the ArcGIS Network Analyst extension to develop a scoring for routes and optimize them based on minimizing exposure to turns while balancing route length. The results showed that it is feasible to identify safer routing choices for older drivers. These “safe” routes are also significantly differentiated from routes optimized by travel time alone. Moreover, safe routing may be quantified easily from readily available information sources, such as by limiting or eliminating the need to make a left turn.