Scientific Publications Database

Article Title: Driving-related Attitudes among Older Adults in Australia
Authors: Sukhawathanakul, Paweena; Porter, Michelle M.; Tuokko, Holly; Charlton, Judith L.; Koppel, Sjaan; Bedard, Michel; Naglie, Gary; Marshall, Shawn; Rapoport, Mark J.; Vrkljan, Brenda; Gelinas, Isabelle; Mazer, Barbara
Journal: JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALASIAN COLLEGE OF ROAD SAFETY Volume 29 Issue 4
Date of Publication:2018
Abstract:
The Decisional Balance Scale (DBS) was developed to assess older adults' attitudes related to driving and includes both intra- and inter-personal motivations for driving. The current study examines the DBS in a sample of older drivers from Australia (n = 257). Longitudinal evaluation of the DBS subscales revealed that changes in attitudes covary with changes in self-regulatory driving practices across 6 annual assessments. Specifically, negative attitudes related to inter-personal motivations for driving (con-other) were associated with participants' scores on the Situational Driving Frequency (SDF) scale. Negative attitudes related to intra- personal motivations for driving (con-self) were associated with participants' scores on the Situational Driving Avoidance (SDA) scale. These findings highlight the importance of considering attitudes in understanding older drivers' decisions to regulate their driving practices.