The Importance of Aging and Reaciton Times for Traffic Safety

Abstract

Reaction time is very important driver's trait, especially reaction time on visual stimuli. Adequate reaction on visual stimuli is inarguably a fundamental component of safe driving because driving relies heavily on vision for its successful execution. Professional drivers are considered to be very important part of the active working population, so there is a need for continuous improvement of operating efficiency and safety in driving. To assess the effects of natural process of aging on reaction times among professional drivers and their relationship with traffic safety. Study was carried out in the Institute of Occupational Health Novi Sad, Department of Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Novi Sad. Participants in this study were active professional drivers with a valid driver's license. Reaction times of 278 male professional drivers were tested using a hardware-software system for determining the speed of response to psychomotor simple and complex audio-visual stimuli. Our results showed a positive correlation between ageing and speed of response. Study suggested that the natural ageing process clearly slows down reaction times which can be an important factor for traffic safety. Traffic regulatory agencies should ensure that all professional drivers undergo basic visual reaction time tests. This could serve as a very strong tool in ascertaining the eligibility of an individual for professional driving.