Intelligent driver support systems: Effects of learning and aging

Driving is a complex task, which relies on multiple cognitive and sensory-motor processes to ensure a safe maneuvering of the vehicle. To assist drivers with these processes, a variety of Intelligent Driver Support Systems (IDSS) have been developed. Although most IDSS become very useful over time, they initially often lead to an increase in overall task complexity, which can become excessive, especially for older drivers. Indeed, aging is associated with general changes in cognitive (e.g., slower information processing) as well as sensory-motor (e.g., decrease in sensory-motor sensitivity) functioning. These changes generally cause older adults to experience more difficulties while driving, particularly when additional tasks (e.g., paying attention to traffic signs in an unfamiliar environment or processing information from an unfamiliar IDSS) need to be performed. In this chapter, we review recent research and present a novel empirical study aimed at understanding how younger and older adults learn to drive with IDSS in multitask driving situations. Taking into account the cognitive models of multitask performance and learning, the focus is on what kind of behavioral changes occur with increasing practice with these systems, whether younger and older adults learn at the same rate, and whether they rely on different strategies to cope with increases in task complexity.