DRIVING BEHAVIOUR OF ELDERLY MOTORISTS IN STANDARDIZED TEST RUNS UNDER ROAD TRAFFIC CONDITIONS --ROAD USER BEHAVIOR. THEORY AND RESEARCH. PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROAD SAFETY HELD IN GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS, AUGUST 1987

Studies of West German traffic accident data show that the accident causation risk expressed as a function of the age of the driver has a u-shaped curve, with an upward trend for elderly car drivers aged 55 and over. The size of this age-related increase is, however, still at the centre of controversial discussion. However, it must be stated that in view of the fact that the number of drivers over 60 holding a driving licence is expected to double or even triple in the period 1980-2000, the accident involvement of this age group will increase. Traffic research must be adapted to accomodate this phenomenon in advance. In order to efficiently conduct traffic safety studies related to these problems in the future current knowledge on driving ability and performance and on the driving behaviour of this particular age group must be extended. A study has started to examine the driving behaviour of car drivers of various age groups using test vehicles in standardized test runs under real traffic conditions. A brief outline of the method used is presented. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 815404.