Older drivers better than less experienced motorists: Study

LONDON - Elderly drivers are more capable than their less experienced counterparts, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by Avinoam Borowsky, who led the research at the Ben Gurion University in Israel, showed that those who had been driving for more than 37 years were as good at responding to risks as those in the middle age category.

Inexperienced drivers performed the worst, tending to fixate on what was straight ahead, and many failed to respond to cars emerging from the sides of the road.

Older drivers, though, were quick to point the finger when things went wrong, the study found.

However, they were more capable of perceiving dangers than young motorists.

“We examined six short video clips and when watching them, the people had to press a button each time they detected a hazard,” The Daily Mail quoted Avinoam Borowsky as saying.

“Older drivers seem to detect hazards the same as experienced drivers. And the older and experienced drivers were better than younger drivers.

“We found that with older drivers, in general, their hazard perception abilities remained intact,” Borowsky added.

Neil Greig, of the Institute for Advanced Motorists, said, ‘This bears out what we have been saying. Older drivers are among the safest groups on the road.’ (ANI)