Project Overview

With road-safety on one side and serious consequences of driving cessation for individuals on the other, driving cessation is considered one of the most challenging issues in dementia. The prospect of Automated Vehicles (AVs) has generated excitement about their potential to solve the problem of driving cessation for persons with dementia (PWD) who can no longer drive safely. However, this prospect is compromised by concerns about PWD’s acceptance of AVs and the safety of PWD’s use of different types of AVs. In this multi-phase study, we will investigate the current perceptions of PWD and care-partners of AVs, develop and refine educational material on different AV types and functionalities for use by PWD and care-partners, and investigate the safety of using different AV types by PWD. In the first phase of the study, we will conduct semi-structured interviews with PWD and care-partners about their perceptions of AVs. During the interviews, we will present participants with the initial version of the educational material on AV functionalities. The results of this phase will shed light on the current PWD’s perceptions of AVs and help to refine the educational material of AV functionalities. In the second phase, we will use Canada’s most advanced driving simulator to test the safety of different AV types for use by PWD. The results of this project will be instrumental in clarifying whether AVs may offer a safe and acceptable method of delaying the need for complete driving cessation in PWD.