Relationships Between Cognitive and Driving Self-awareness in Older Drivers

ObjectivesMany older drivers incorrectly estimate their driving ability. The present study aimed to determine whether, and if so, to what extent unawareness of cognitive abilities affects self-awareness of driving ability.MethodTwo successive studies were conducted in older drivers. A cohort study investigated cognitive self-awareness and an experimental study examined driving self-awareness. In each one, self-awareness was assessed by cross-analyzing objective (respectively Trail-Making Tests A and B and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and driving performance of on-road assessment) and subjective data (responses about everyday cognitive skills and driving ability). Older drivers were then classified as being over-, correct, or underestimators. The 3 cognitive and driving self-awareness profiles were then cross-analyzed.ResultsIn the cohort study, 1,190 drivers aged 70 years or older were included. The results showed that 42.7% of older drivers overestimated their cognitive ability, 42.2% estimated it correctly, and 15.1% underestimated it. The experimental study included 145 participants from the cohort. The results showed that 34% of participants overestimated, 45% correctly estimated, and 21% underestimated their driving ability. There was a significant relationship between cognitive and driving self-awareness profiles (p = .02). This overlap was more marked in overestimators.DiscussionSignificant overlap between cognitive and driving self-awareness provides useful and new knowledge about driving in the aging population. Misestimation of cognitive ability could hamper self-awareness of driving ability, and consequently self-regulation of driving. It is now crucial to develop measures that promote self-awareness of ability.