Carleton University

Purpose

Canada's size and weather causes many older Canadians Aging in Place to drive. Aging brings natural and illness-related health declines making mature drivers at risk for driving accidents. Furthermore, unplanned driving cessation causes isolation, leading to increased risk of dementia, poorer physical and mental health, and reduced ability to engage in social, physical activities. The SENSE-MD project aims to provide a solution for a key missing element in the current driver assessment regime: knowledge of changes in risk and driving capacity based on valuable data from onboard vehicle sensors. Clinical assessments are infrequent and only indirectly measure driving skills, increasing risks for premature driving cessation and isolation. The SENSE-MD project addresses the NRC Connection Pillar offering a technology-based solution that delivers information, based on a communication model, regarding changes in driver risk to the mature Canadian drivers, their family, and caregivers, while keeping the driver central to information sharing.