Driving

Published Research on BrainHQ and Driving Safety

Driving a car requires a lot of brainpower. One of the most important cognitive abilities for driving is “useful field of view”—the area from which you can take in information with a single glance. (At least one study has shown that a useful field of view test is more accurate than a vision test for safe driving!) Useful field of view tends to get smaller with age, meaning that we take in less of the visual field in front of us. So if a bicycle, truck, or skateboarder comes at us from the side, we might not spot it in time to slam on the brakes.

Seventeen published papers have shown that BrainHQ exercises—particularly Double Decision—are great tools for assessing and improving useful field of view and driving safety. Among other things, these studies have shown that after training, drivers on average:

 

  • Make 38% fewer dangerous driving maneuvers
  • Can stop 22 feet sooner when driving 88 kilometers per hour (55 miles per hour)
  • Feel more confident driving in difficult conditions (such as at night, in bad weather, or in new places)
  • Cut their at-fault crash risk by 48%
  • Keep their license later in life
 
The exercises do this by speeding up visual processing, expanding useful field of view, and training users to keep track of many moving parts at once. And this can make the difference between a near miss and a bad crash!

 

Information and citations for studies on BrainHQ assessment on training and driving

“Cognitive training decreases motor vehicle collision involvement of older drivers”

Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Lead Author: Karlene Ball, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“The longitudinal impact of cognitive speed of processing training on driving mobility”
Published in: The Gerontologist
Lead Author: Jerri D. Edwards, PhD, University of South Florida
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“Cognitive speed of processing training delays driving cessation”
Published in: Journal of Gerontology, Series A
Lead Author: Jerri D. Edwards, PhD, University of South Florida
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“Speed-of-processing and driving simulator training result in improved driving performance”
Published in: Human Factors
Lead Author: Daniel L. Roenker, PhD, Western Kentucky University
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“Visual attention problems as a predictor of vehicle crashes in older drivers”
Published in: Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Lead Author: Karlene Ball, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Can high-risk older drivers be identified through performance-based measures in a Department of Motor Vehicles setting?”
Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Lead Author: Karlene Ball, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Cumulative meta-analysis of the relationship between useful field of view and driving performance in older adults: Current and future implications”
Published in: Optometry and Vision Science
Lead Author: Olivio J. Clay, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Useful field of view and other neurocognitive indicators of crash risk in older adults”
Published in: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
Lead Author: Kathryn T. Goode, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Visual/cognitive correlates of vehicle accidents in older drivers”
Published in: Psychology and Aging
Lead Author: Cynthia Owsley, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Visual processing impairment and risk of motor vehicle crash among older adults”
Published in: Journal of the American Medical Association
Lead Author: Cynthia Owsley, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Vision impairment, eye disease, and injurious motor vehicle crashes in the elderly”
Published in: Ophthalmic Epidemiology
Lead Author: Cynthia Owsley, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Traffic-entry behavior and crash risk for older drivers with impairment of selective attention”
Published in: Perceptual and Motor Skills
Lead Author: Thomas A. Pietras, MD, University of Iowa
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“Translating laboratory measures to real-world outcomes: Application of the UFOV test in an insurance company setting”
Published in: Proceedings of the Sixth International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design
Lead Author: Lesley Ross, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“A prospective, population-based study of the role of visual impairment in motor vehicle crashes among older drivers: The SEE study”
Published in: Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Lead Author: Gary S. Rubin, PhD, University College London (UK)
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“Effects of aging on the useful field of view”
Published in: Experimental Aging Research
Lead Author: Allison B. Sekuler, PhD, University of Toronto (Canada)
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“A preliminary assessment of the medical and functional factors associated with vehicle crashes by older adults”
Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Lead Author: Richard V. Sims, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“Exploratory study of incident vehicle crashes among older drivers”
Published in: Journal of Gerontology, Series A
Lead Author: Richard V. Sims, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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“MaryPODS revisited: Updated crash analysis and implications for screening program implementation”
Published in: Journal of Safety Research
Lead Author: Loren Staplin, PhD, TransAnalytics
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"The transfer of cognitive speed of processing training to older adults’ driving mobility across 5 years" 
Published in: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 
Lead Author: Ross LA, PhD, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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