UEA research: Sat Navs are helping keep older people driving for longer
The work involved five universities and nearly 900 people over 65
Research from the University of East Anglia has found that Sat Navs are helping to keep older drivers on the road for longer
It follows a study- featuring five Uni's- where nearly 900 people over 65 self reported how often they drove and when they used a digital map to help them.
Those involved also completed online cognitive tests assessing their memory and spatial abilities.
The team involved then analysed the relationship between how people use GPS with their driving mobility and cognitive performance.
"These tools help mitigate against spatial orientation difficulties and help maintain driving mobility"
Senior author Prof Michael Hornberger, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said:
“Driving is usually the preferred mode of transport among older adults, and it can be vital for maintaining independence, quality of life, wellbeing, and cognitive health as we age.
“But age-related cognitive decline means that people might experience worsening spatial abilities, leading them to drive less and less.
“We found that a considerable majority of older drivers use navigation assistance at least for some journeys, and commonly for the entire journey to a new destination.
“Older people with a poorer sense of direction rely more on Sat Navs.
"But the really important thing we found is that those who use GPS tend to drive more frequently than those who do not, suggesting that these tools help mitigate against spatial orientation difficulties and help maintain driving mobility.
“This means that if we support older drivers with using GPS navigation, it could really help maintain their driving independence – keeping them on the roads safely for longer,” he added.
"We wanted to better understand how using GPS navigation systems helps older people"
Lead author Dr Sol Morrissey, from UEA’s School of Health Sciences, added:
“We know that using a Sat Nav system can alleviate the cognitive demands of navigation when driving, particularly when visiting less familiar destinations. And this technology has become increasingly popular among older drivers.
“We wanted to better understand how using GPS navigation systems helps older people on the roads.”
The background to this work:
‘GPS navigation assistance is associated with driving mobility in older drivers’ is published in the journal PLOS Digital Health.
This research was led by UEA in collaboration with the University of Exeter, Oxford Brookes University, Chester Wellness Centre and the University of Leeds. The study is supported by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East of England.
It was funded by the Department for Transport.