Relationship between Functional Fitness and Break Response in Elderly Drivers: Comparison with Young Driver

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study compared the functional fitness and brake response of elderly and young drivers to confirm the correlation between the functional fitness and brake response. METHODS: This study was a cross sectional observational design. Older drivers (>65age, n=21) and young adult drivers (20–40aged, n=20) were enrolled as subjects. The functional fitness of the subjects was measured using a senior fitness test consisting of a back scratch (BS), chair sit and reach (CSR), arm curl (AC), chair stand up (CSU), foot up and go (8-FUG), and 2-minute step (2-MS). The brake response used the virtual driving simulator to measure the brake reaction time (BRT) and braking distance (BD) according to the pedestrian protection and traffic signal compliance. RESULTS: The older drivers had a lower BS (p < 0.000), CSU (p=0.040), and 8-FUG (p=0.011) than the young adult drivers. BS and 8-FUG showed a significant positive correlation with the BRT and BD of pedestrian protection and traffic signal compliance. CSU showed a significant negative correlation with the BRT of pedestrian protection and traffic signal compliance. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the flexibility of the upper extremity, lower extremity strength, and agility are strongly correlated with the driving performance of elderly drivers.