Age-related differences in attentional failures during driving: A self-report measure

Older drivers experience increasing risks of vehicle crashes. This increase in crash risks has been associated with age-related declines in attention. To assess attentional failures during driving, we develop a self-report measure, the Attentional Failures during Driving Questionnaire (AFDQ). In this paper, we describe the development of the questionnaire and our preliminary effort to examine its reliability and validity via an online survey. The results demonstrated a high level of internal consistency of the questionnaire. In addition, we found that self-reported attentional failures during driving are not only associated with self-reported attentional and cognitive failures during other daily activities, but also related to unsafe driving behaviors and self-efficacy in driving. Our results also showed significant age-related differences in the AFDQ score: old-old drivers (age 75+) reported a higher level of attentional failures during driving than middle-aged drivers (age 25-64) and young-old drivers (age 65-74). These preliminary results indicate the potential use of AFDQ as a measure of attentional performance during driving for older drivers.