Older Drivers + Unrealistic Optimism

Self-regulation among older drivers was the topic of an Australian study published in the March 2008[Issue 63B] Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. The study, conducted by Windsor, Ansley, and Walker examined driving self-assessment, self-regulation, and avoidance of high risk driving situations among 304 older adults. Why study this topic? As the researchers point out, Western society relies on automobiles for transportation and as the population ages, gerontologists must understand older driver behavior in order to assist them with developing alternatives. High risk driving behaviors include night driving, wet pavement/rain, and driving too fast. While many of the participants avoid these potential hazardous driving conditions, those with "unrealistic optimism" believe that they have superior driving skills and therefore do not avoid the high-risk situations. While "illusionary beliefs" and " perceived control over the environment" is healthy psychologically, it interferes when older adults evaluate their own driving ability. The result? "...drivers who considered themselves at least a little better than their average peers were four times more likely to be judged as unsafe by an independent rater..."