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Age-related Changes and Driving Fitness: A Comprehensive Analysis

This presentation discusses age-related changes, reasons to consider fitness to drive, age and driving performance, knowledge gaps, and employer actions. It also explores demographic developments, the change in legislation, and the impact of illness and disability on driving. Additionally, it examines health and life expectancy trends, increasing life expectancy, and obesity trends. Relevant reading material is provided.

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Age-related Changes and Driving Fitness: A Comprehensive Analysis

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  1. Couldn’t you get someone younger to drive to Glasgow? Insert the title of your presentation here Presented by Name HereJob Title - Date Presented by Britta LangPrincipal Research Consultant 13th October 2011, PACTS

  2. 2 1 Age-related changes Reasons to consider fitness to drive 3 4 Age and driving performance 5 Gaps in knowledge 6 Summary & employer actions Agenda Age & productivity in the workplace Page 2

  3. Demographic developments Proportion of over 65 year olds in the population Source: Assailly, INRETS (2011) Percentage of people employed who are of Statutory Pension Age (SPA) or older has increased from 8% in 1992 to 12% in 2009 (HSE, 2011). Page 3

  4. Licence holding forecasts - Males Source: Kit Mitchell (2011) Page 4

  5. Licence holding forecasts - Females Source: Kit Mitchell (2011) Page 5

  6. The change in legislation Page 6 From 6th April 2011 no further issuing of notifications for compulsory retirement using the Default Retirement Age (DRA) procedure Full abolition of the DRA as of 1st October 2011 Decisions of when an employee should stop working to be based on their performance rather than their age

  7. The change in legislation Possibility of maintenance of a set retirement age if it can be objectively justified as proportionate response to a legitimate aim But: no case law available Page 7

  8. “Inevitable” age-related deteriorations • Cognitive • Deceleration of information processing, deterioration of working memory, selective/ divided attention • Perceptual • Reduced visual & aural acuity, sensitivity to glare • Physical • Restricted mobility & joint movements (particularly head & neck), reduction of (grip) strength • Higher need for recovery from physical demands Page 8

  9. Illness and disability Proportion of workforce with long-term health problems or disability (ONS, 2008) Conditions reported to most likely affect people’s (60+ years) ability or wish to stay in work (ONS, 2008): Heart, blood pressure circulation Back or neck Legs or feet Arms or hands Diabetes Chest, breathing problems Page 9

  10. Health & life expectancy trends (HSE, 2011) Projected life expectancy at State Pension Age by gender Source: ONS, 2008 • Lifestyle changes & some associated health outcomes (NHS, 2009): • Blood pressure reductions • Cardiovascular disease level stable • Increases in diabetes (2.4% in 1994 vs. 4.9% in 2006) • Increases in obesity Page 10

  11. Increasing life expectancy Because of: Healthier diets Reduced smoking Increased physical exercise Improved (access to) medical provisions & technology Page 11

  12. EU trends 1980-2005 Males Source: International Obesity Task Force (2005) Page 12

  13. EU trends 1980-2005 Males Source: International Obesity Task Force (2005) Page 13

  14. EU trends 1980-2005 Females Source: International Obesity Task Force (2005) Page 14

  15. EU trends 1980-2005 Females Source: International Obesity Task Force (2005) Page 15

  16. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1985 (*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person) No Data <10% 10%–14% Source: Behavioural Risk Surveillance System , CDC

  17. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1990 (*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person) No Data <10% 10%–14% Source: Behavioural Risk Surveillance System , CDC

  18. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1995 (*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person) No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% Source: Behavioural Risk Surveillance System , CDC

  19. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2000 (*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person) No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20% Source: Behavioural Risk Surveillance System , CDC

  20. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2005 (*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person) No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30% Source: Behavioural Risk Surveillance System , CDC

  21. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2010 (*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person) No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30% Source: Behavioural Risk Surveillance System , CDC

  22. Recommended reading http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr832.pdf Older workers defined as individuals over 50 (Benjamin & Wilson, 2005) Page 22

  23. Age and productivity/performance at work • Most reviews & studies of age & work performance do not suggest that job performance decreases with age (Ng & Feldman, 2008). • Some evidence of performance deterioration with age found in jobs that have: • exceptionally high cognitive demands • high physical workload • Lower job control (Silverstein, 2008, Costa & Sartori, 2007). Page 23

  24. Age and productivity/performance at work Silverstein, 2008 • Absence of strong association between age & performance because: • Inter-individual differences; aging as a highly individual process • Knowledge & experience compensate at least partially for age-related declines in cognitive functions • Workers very rarely operate close to their upper performance capability Page 24

  25. Age and driving performance Car driver casualty rate per licensed driver in Britain 2008 Source: RAC, 2010 Page 25

  26. Self-regulation “Self-regulation implies that drivers make adjustments in their driving behaviour that adequately match changing cognitive, sensory and motor capacities. Examples of such behaviours include reductions in driving distance and avoidance of busy traffic and night driving.” (Charlton et al. 2006, p.364) Page 26

  27. Self-regulation • Evidence for reduction of annual mileage in older drivers in longitudinal self-report survey with n=395 aged 54+; T1 1994/95, T2, 1997/98 (Rabbitt, Carmichael, Shilling & Sutcliff, 2002) • Significant associations between visual & attentional impairments & avoidance of certain driving situations such as (Ball, Owsley, Stalvey, Roenker, Sloane & Graves, 1998): • Driving at night • High traffic roads • Rush hour traffic • High speed roads • Driving alone • Right hand turns across oncoming traffic • Driving in the rain Drivers with cognitive impairments reported less avoidance of driving situations that those with visual impairments Page 27

  28. This suggests Good evidence that age in itself is not associated with losses of productivity in the work context Good evidence that older drivers are not over-represented in road crashes Because older people may restructure (the way they approach) the task Page 28

  29. BUT Self-regulation is mainly discussed in relation to private motoring Changes in driving behaviours are mediated by the end of work careers and greater choice about when, where and how long to drive Areas of concern include situations/ tasks where restructuring/ self-regulating is not an option We currently have no definitive evidence on how older drivers would perform in the situations they are avoiding Possibility of older drivers’ higher accident involvement in situations where self-regulation is not possible, i.e. driving for work Page 29

  30. What are the problems we need to consider in relation to older drivers at work? • Work-related driving, including: • Professional drivers • Company car drivers • Areas of concern: • Diabetes/ obesity • Impact of (multiple) medicinal drugs • (Stress) resilience/ recovery • Fatigue/sleep apnoea • Journey planning (long drives, driving under time pressure, driving in hazardous environments) Page 30

  31. Minimum medical fitness standards • Group 1: • Motor cars & motor cycles • Valid until age with subsequent renewal every 3 years • Group 2: • Lorries/ trucks (category C) & buses (category D) • Valid until age 45 with subsequent renewal every 5 years until age 65 & annual renewal thereafter Are drivers aware? Page 31

  32. Holland & Rabitt, 1992 • 54 current drivers in the 50-70ties complete questionnaire on: • Self-reported vision & hearing abilities • Avoidance of potentially difficult driving situations • Crash involvement over last 3 years • Vision & hearing test carried out & results fed back to participants • 2 months follow up: self-report of changes to driving behaviour • Participants with vision difficulties report greater avoidance of driving in the dark or at dusk (r=.43; p<.001; r=.51; p<.001); drivers who report more avoidance were less involved in crashes (r=-.26; p<.05) • 36 of 59 participants report changes to their driving behaviour in response to the feedback received on sensory deteriorations Page 32

  33. Summary and employer actions • The older workforce is a reality • Aging is a highly variable process; employers need to respond on a case by case basis • Employers need to raise awareness for age effects & how these may affect driving related performance • Employers need to take accommodations that ensure that safe driving on the job is maintained; this may include • Focus on & flexibility in in journey planning • Eliminating unnecessary journeys • Restructuring the job • Open discussions with employees and collaborative planning is likely to be welcomed and appreciated Page 33

  34. Do YouHave Any Questions? Page 34

  35. Thank you Presented by Britta Lang Principal Research Consultant – 13/10/2011 Tel: 01344 770024Email: blang@trl.co.uk Page 35

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