Speeding and Speed Modification of Older Drivers: Does Vehicle Type Make a Difference?

The purpose of this study was to examine whether vehicle type based on size (car vs. other = truck/van/SUV) had an impact on the speeding, acceleration, and braking patterns of older male and female drivers (70 years and older) from a Canadian longitudinal study. The primary hypothesis was that older adults driving larger vehicles (e.g., trucks, SUVs, or vans) would be more likely to speed than those driving cars. Participants (n= 493) had a device installed in their vehicles that recorded their everyday driving. The findings suggest that the type of vehicle driven had little or no impact on per cent of time speeding or on the braking and accelerating patterns of older drivers. Given that the propensity for exceeding the speed limit was high among these older drivers, regardless of vehicle type, future research should examine what effect this behaviour has on older-driver road safety. The Candrive Investigators thank the Candrive cohort study participants for their dedication. Without their commitment, this publication would not have been possible. The Candrive Investigators thank Lynn MacLeay, Candrive program manager, for her role in managing and operationalizing the study for the Canadian sites. The Candrive investigators thank the research associates for their dedication and contribution to the success of the study (in order of participant recruitment); Candrive Research Coordinators; Jennifer Biggs and Anita Jessup (Ottawa Coordinating Centre), Phyllis McGee (Victoria), Linda Johnson and Joanne Parsons (Winnipeg), Novlette Fraser and Sue Woodard (Toronto), Sheila Garrett (Hamilton), Felice Mendelsohn, Minh-Thy DinhTruong, Suzie Schwartz, and Rivi Levkovich (Montreal), and Laura Morrison and Hillary Maxwell (Thunder Bay). The Candrive Investigators thank the additional support staff for their dedication and contribution to the success of the study: Kelly Weegar and Chantal Rockwell (Ottawa). The Candrive investigators wish to thank the following individuals for their work associated with the in-vehicle driving data: Melissa Smith, Sandra Webber, and Maureen Babb (Winnipeg).