مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري

Abstract :

Older drivers display a set of distinct behaviors in traffic in relation to their developmental characteristics and experiences. In the current study, we aim to reveal older drivers’ individual experiences in traffic from their perspective and through their expressions. In line with this aim, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 male participants aged 60 or older living in Ankara and examined the resultant data through interpretative phenomenological analysis. According to these results, these traffic experiences of older drivers are grouped around three superordinate themes; namely, behavioral changes brought by age, negative incidents and emotional experiences related to age, and cognitive and physiological changes brought by age. According to these results, most participants agreed that they experienced various changes in their driving with age. Emotional experiences of older drivers included several negative consequences under difficult conditions characterized by heavy traffic or when faced with aggressive behavior from other drivers. Another finding was that older drivers were aware that physiological and cognitive performance declines with increasing age. The results, providing a noteworthy base for future intervention programs, are presented and discussed in detail.