Given the increasing number of older drivers as our population ages, attention has focused on the potential traffic safety implications of this trend. Previous research has concentrated primarily on identifying factors contributing to safety problems. This study will expand on this literature and on the investigator's previous experience with intervention studies to determine whether an education intervention can enhance driving performance among 126 active drivers age 70 years and older. Participants will include older drivers who in a previous study had road test scores suggesting they might benefit from an intervention program. Eligible individuals who consent to participate will be randomly assigned to groups and the analysis will compare changes in driving performance and knowledge between intervention and control groups, as well as identifying factors that mediate and moderate these changes.

Older drivers are often faced with the need to limit or stop driving. However, alternative modes of transportation are limited in many areas and when present may be inconvenient or difficult to access. The ability to continue driving safely would alleviate the problem and allow for continued mobility. Interventions directed at functional impairments associated with driving performance difficulty are potentially limited by applicability (not everyone has the impairment) and effectiveness (in an aging population, dramatic improvements in any functional area are less likely). However, direct educational enhancement of driving performance has potentially broad applicability as virtually all drivers could benefit from it either now or in the future. Once the effectiveness of this intervention is established, to maximally enhance performance, it could be combined with other interventions directed at functional impairments. The study will have direct relevance to on-road driving performance of older drivers. Dr. Richard Marittoli of Yale University, a leader in the area of older driver research, is conducting the study.