NEAR PERIPHERAL MOTION DETECTION THRESHOLD PREDICTS DETECTION FAILURE ACCIDENT RISK IN YOUNGER AND OLDER DRIVERS

Summary: Motion contrast thresholds for 0.4 cycle/degree drifting Gabor stimuli were assessed at 15-degrees eccentricity for 16 younger drivers (ages 24 to 42), and 15 older drivers (ages 65 to 84), using a temporal two-alternative forced choice staircase procedure. Two self-report questionnaires assessed detection failure accident risk—the Driver Perception Questionnaire (DPQ5), and an abridged Aging Driver Questionnaire (ADQ15). The UFOV ® test battery was also administered. Mean peripheral motion contrast thresholds (PMCT) of younger and older participants were –39.3 dB and –33.8 dB, respectively. For younger drivers, the correlation between PMCT and DPQ5 scores was.62 (p<.01), and between DPQ5 and ADQ16 (new and validated self-report measures, respectively) was.59 (p<.01). For older drivers, correlation between PMCT and DPQ5 scores was.49 (p<.01), between DPQ5 and ADQ16 was.73 (p<.01), and between PMCT and age was.49 (p<.05). For drivers overall, correlation was.48 (p<.01) between PMCT and DPQ5 scores,.63 (p<.0001) between DPQ5 and ADQ16, and.69 (p<.0001) between PMCT and age. For drivers overall