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Abstract

As the general population ages worldwide, the percentage of drivers aged 65 years and older continues to increase. By the year 2030, one quarter of drivers are projected to be represented in this age category. As a result, it is imperative to continue research efforts involving older adults. At the same time, leading car manufacturers are developing semi- and fully- autonomous vehicles at a rapid rate, which are expected to be available to the public in the next few years. Several research gaps exist regarding older adults’ feelings towards this new technology. However, without a thorough understanding of how older adults self-perceive their own driving abilities, it will be challenging to develop vehicles that successfully support aging populations. Therefore, the goal of this project was to review and synthesize the existing literature regarding older drivers and their self-reported driving skills. In particular, this review sought to determine the correlation between self-perceived and actual driving abilities. In this project, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method was used to identify relevant articles. In total, the methods and results of 25 articles were thoroughly reviewed. Overall, a consistent trend was found such that older drivers who perceive themselves to drive “better” than they do in real-life are more likely to be involved in an accident. On the other hand, drivers who underestimate their driving abilities tend to be safer due to self-regulatory habits they employ, such as restricting nighttime driving. The implications of these findings support initiatives to help drivers become more aware of their actual driving performance as well as to develop calibration methods to improve overall road safety.

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