Psychological Perspectives on Driving Behavior in Aging: Implications for Assessment Tools and Training Methods

Dear Colleagues,

We have reached the conclusion of the first third of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030). This initiative strives for transformations across various sectors, aiming to synchronize the agenda for Healthy Aging with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). It is well known that older adults represent a growing age cohort behind the wheel, prompting authorities and governments to consider this phenomenon for implementing risk prevention measures (i.e., to reach safety) and promoting mobility (i.e., active aging). While it is essential to promote active aging, ensuring safety and accident prevention remains paramount. Traffic psychology plays a crucial role in understanding the intricate relationship between mobility and safety in aging, enabling the development of research and interventions to address the challenges presented by the increasing aging population. In this context, there is an increasing need in several fields of traffic psychology (i.e., fitness-to-drive assessment, risk exposure assessment, susceptibility to distracted driving, assistance to driving cessation, interactions with in-vehicle devices, familiarity with the driving environment, etc.) to highlight the role of both theoretical perspectives and practical applications with an age-friendly perspective.

This Special Issue is dedicated to both theoretical and empirical contributions that explore in-depth the relationship between psychological aspects of aging and driving. Scientific papers should encompass both applied and fundamental research on driving behavior, traffic crashes/injury prevention, fitness-to-drive, distracted driving, sleepiness, and fatigue behind the wheel, regarding any of the topics related to older drivers. In the present Special Issue, the submission of both original research articles and reviews is welcome.

Research areas may include (but are not restricted to) the following:

• Older drivers’ driving behavior;
• Distracted driving and distraction mitigation in older drivers;
• Driving cessation;
• Older drivers’ fitness-to-drive assessment;
• Medication side-effects for older adults’ driving performance;
• Personality and other dispositional factors (e.g., attitudes) affecting driving performance in older drivers;
• Neuropsychological markers of unfitness-to-drive

Dr. Luigi Tinella
Dr. Alessandro Oronzo Caffò
Prof. Dr. Andrea Bosco
Guest Editors

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