Reasons Why Drivers May Stay Longer by Driving Automatic Transmission Cars - Coursework Example

WOULD CHANGING TO AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CAR ALLOW OLDER DRIVERS TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE FOR LONGER? Instructor name: Date due: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 What happens? 4 Analysis 6 Reasons why drivers may stay longer by driving automatic transmission cars 9 Discussion 12 Evaluation 12 Conclusion and action plan 14 Bibliography 15 Introduction Technology has been advancing day by day. The automobiles industry has not been left behind in utilizing the latest technology. New mechanisms of manufacturing cars have been born from the technology. The technology has seen manual cars facing competition from automatic transmission ones. The new automatic transmission cars have found favour especially with the aged and drivers with physical disabilities. Advanced age affects driving due to the obvious changes in perception, cognition and physical ability. This brings out the research question, ‘Would changing to an Automatic Transmission car allow older drivers to continue to drive for longer?’ To answer this question, a critical evaluation will be based on Gibb (1988) model of reflection. The automatic cars are easier to drive since, and the driver is just required to concentrate on the steering wheel and braking. The drivers who are currently operating manual cars will also find an easier time with the automatic cars. Driving is a complex activity, involving sensing information about traffic, road conditions and the car’s behaviour. Based on this information, the driver has to decide on the action to take in manoeuvring his way on the road. It is estimated that a typical driver will make 20 decisions per mile, in less than half a second in avoidance of a collision. Advanced age will affect the whole process of driving that is, sensing, deciding and taking an action (Selander, Bolin, & Falkmer 2011: 183). The complexities tend to be non-existent in automatic cars. The drivers will find an economic value in automatic cars. The automatic cars have low fuel consumption (Moss 2010: 37). An automatic car is far much easier to drive as compared to a manual one. The automatic car is easy to start, steer and even stop. Driving an automatic car leaves both hands for steering of the vehicle. The free hands boost the confidence of the driver, and also the act of shifting hands from the steering wheel to the gear lever is not there. The steering wheel is also powered, allowing the driver an easier time on the steering wheel. An automatic vehicle is also less tiring especially in slow moving traffic. The car automatically engages gears, leaving the driver free just to concentrate on the road, balancing on the brake pedal. Some automatic cars however require the driver to engage a low gear in the slow moving traffic jams. Unlike the manual cars which consume large amounts of fuel in the jams, automatic ones do save on the fuel. The automatic transmission also reduces the chances of making errors with the gear or the clutch. This means there are reduced chances of causing accidents with an automatic car as compared to the manual ones. When carefully driven, the automatic cars provide the driver with many controls over the gears. An automatic gearbox is also a great relief for the elderly and the disabled persons. They also offer a solution to people having difficulties in driving manual cars. The safety of the car is to a large extent dependent on the type of car used whether manual or automatic transmission. What happens? There are high chances of drivers with cognitive problems to fail a driving test when using manual cars due to problems of multitasking. Cognition involves the memory, judgement and the speed of response. Aging drivers will most likely have cognition problems. Age does not directly affect the performance of drivers but has an indirect effect resulting from age-related complications such as perceptual, cognitive and psychomotor abilities. The cognitive problems will pose real problems when using machinery, for instance, a vehicle. There is divided attention as such drivers try to concentrate on the gears and clutch. The main problems associated with multitasking will result from the inability to coordinate some sensory aspects. Such a driver will likely fail in some of the clinical tests as discussed below: One of the tests would be a vision test. In addition to just reading the typical eye chart, the driver’s vision has to be examined in great detail. The tests for vision will include peripheral vision, depth perception, visual-spatial skills, and contrast sensitivity. Depth perception will help in the determination of a safe following distance. The depth perception will help the driver to make informed decisions on the directions to take while driving. The driver will be able to decide whether to take a left-hand or right-hand turn. Peripheral vision, on the other hand, affects the ability of the driver to recognize and make appropriate action regarding traffic and the pedestrians around the driver. Visual-spatial skills help the driver in keeping the car positioned in the driving lane and the park centred between two lines. Contrast sensitivity is crucial for the detection of other vehicles or pedestrians, especially in poor lightings like during dusk (Martin, Marottoli & Oneill 2009: 5). Cognition is another significant aspect determining the performance of the driver during a driving assessment. For the aging driver to pass the driving test, he or she has to exhibit the ability to measure judgement and memory and his or her ability to follow instructions. Cognition also involves measurement of the speed at which the brain of the driver reacts. The other reason older drivers may fail is using of medications. Older drivers are in most cases under consistent medication, unlike their younger counterparts. From statistics, it has been shown that people aged 65 and above makeup 11 percent of the population and use approximately 25 percent of prescriptions given in the United States. The medications include over-the-counter drugs, cough syrup, allergy medications and sleeping pills. The medications are likely to cause drowsiness, decrease energy resulting in slow reaction times which may affect driving ability. Drugs like valium, used to relieve anxiety, stress and muscle spasms, are known to cause traffic collisions. Alcohol is another cause of many collisions. Older people are less tolerant to alcohol, and its effect lingers longer in their minds than in younger people. The older drivers are, therefore, more likely to cause more collisions (Craik 2011: 9). To reverse the adverse effects of age-related collisions, physicians can keep their patients on the road longer through identification and management of diseases, such as cataracts and arthritis. The physicians can also discontinue sedating medications. The physicians will also work towards successful ambulation such as adequate visual, cognitive and motor functions (Craik 2011: 9). Moreover, older drivers are more fragile. Fragility increases with advancing age. During the driving assessment, cognition will enable the assessor to determine the suitability of the driver on the road. Cognition will help in the evaluation of the clinical driving functions, which include the determination of whether the driver can focus on several aspects at once. This test is very crucial since the driver has to be exemplary good in driving safely through a busy intersection, where there are a number of activities going on. The activities may include men constructing the section of a road, or where there is a market by the roadside. The brain of the driver should be able to process information quickly enough so that the driver can react immediately to an unexpected event, like that of an animal pulling out right in front of the driver. It is the driver’s instant and appropriate reactions that will enable him avoid causing an accident. The other important aspect to be considered during a driving assessment is the motor function. This assessment measures the driver’s strength, flexibility and endurance while driving. However, early diagnosis of the dementia disorder may prevent early retirement from driving (Martin, Marottoli & Oneill 2009: 8). Analysis The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists abbreviated as (CAOT) has been working tirelessly reduces deaths of older drivers, resulting from road accidents. Other stakeholders, like government departments and health workers, have also been included in the national population –based health initiative geared towards the reduction of injuries and deaths among the older drivers. The occupational therapists are supposed to assess the older drivers’ ability to drive and advise them to retire from driving or changing to a safer car (Craik 2011: 137-140). There are higher chances that drivers would have driven for longer if they changed from manual to automatic transmission cars earlier. Old age comes with problems ranging from perception, recognition, remembering, thinking and making judgements. The complications result in memory disorders, forgetfulness and susceptibility to disruption. Automatic transmission car is advantageous over a manual car. It is far much safer to drive than one with a manual change. Its safety is guaranteed because both hands are free, allowing comfortable steering of the vehicle at most of the driving time. Driving an automatic car is also less tiring, especially in heavy traffic or where the traffic is moving slowly. An automatic car also eliminates most of the human errors that are common with all people especially at old-age. An automatic car reduces the chances of making errors with the gear or the clutch while driving (Miller & Stacey 2011: 244). Automatic cars provide drivers with many controls as compared to manual change vehicles. In its operation, the handbrake is needed more often and is applied more firmly. The design of the automatic transmission systems is such that the car tends to creep slowly at tick-over speeds on the level ground. For proper understanding of automatic transmission systems in cars, a detailed explanation of each of the systems is given below. (1) A fully automatic car with gear holds position. This type of car offers selector positions for forward and reverse, with the gear hold for low-speed driving, or when driving downhill. (2) Another type of an automatic transmission car is a variomatic transmission. This kind of car is fitted with a holding device, offering an excellent position for braking on downhill gradients. (3) Multi-hold system is another transmission system, which can retain any gear, and is fitted particularly with vehicles like Mini or Rolls-Royce. (4) Constantly variable transmission (CVT) is another transmission system. It allows changeability of gear ratios rather than stepped-gear changes (Miller & Stacey 2011: 244). (5) Semi-automatic falls between automatic car transmission system and manual cars. Such a vehicle is fitted with a normal gearbox and clutch but lacks the clutch pedal. The clutch pedal can be used for moving the hand on the gear lever. A pre-selector system, on the contrary, allows engagement of the gear before it is even required. A foot pedal is then used instead of a clutch to engage the gear. (6) Kick-down transmission system. This particular system has many automatics and is possible to change down quickly to a lower gear ratio, especially when overtaking. Sharp depression of the accelerator pedal past the full throttle overrides the standard gear control system (Miller & Stacey 2011: 244). In line with the two mechanisms of design and manufacture of vehicles, I feel that the automatic transmission car is the best solution for drivers. This is because of the little effort required in driving it. Unlike the manual cars, the automatic transmission car is of benefit to the driver in that it allows him an easier time in controlling it. Despite the cognitive impairments, an automatic car proves to be driver-friendly as it requires less concentration on the controls of the car and giving him more time to focus and concentrate on the road. Older driver safety has been advocated. For instance, the CAOT has been in the forefront of achieving this. Their efforts made them launch a website and distribute a number of brochures in 2010, all in promotion of the safety of older drivers. The focus of the brochures was on the implications of normal aging and health conditions on safe driving. Useful information is provided on scientific analysis of the high-risk situations which reduce risks of collisions. The older drivers and their families were the primary targets of these brochures, in an attempt to enhance their fitness for driving. By adhering to the information provided, the drivers can drive for long. The information also helps them to retire from driving, and unharmed (Piersma & Waard n.d : 2). Occupational therapists and other health care professionals provide information to the older drivers and their families with updated information pertaining to driving screening, assessment and treatment options. Alternate community mobility options are provided on the website. The options include tips on retirement from driving (Craik 2011: 137-140). Looking at the above-discussed features of an automatic car transmission, it can be seen that it offers many advantages to the driver since it is less involving. For a driver who starts by driving an automatic car will be far much comfortable as compared to his counterpart driving a manual car. A manual car will be demand so much attention from the driver, for effective control of the vehicle. This means the driver will be at stress at most of the times, something which will accelerate aging. Reasons why drivers may stay longer by driving automatic transmission cars Shifting through the changes of gears to focusing on the road ahead is not an easy task especially for the aging drivers. The question of whether older drivers show better performance by driving automatic cars than when driving manual cars can now be answered from the following discussion. To establish the suitability of automatic cars to older drivers, a study was conducted on twenty young and twenty younger drivers. Each of the participants drove in both the automatic and manual vehicles. From the experiment, the older drivers caused more collisions on the road than the younger drivers. This was partly attributed to the tendency of the younger drivers to take risks on the road than the older drivers who appeared quite fearful of risky driving. The confidence of the younger drivers added to their success on the road. The older drivers, on the other hand, were lacked the confidence, especially while driving the manual cars. The older participants of the experiment made a lot of swerving both in the automatic and the manual cars. The older drivers however proved to be better drivers in the automatic vehicles as compared to manual cars. Their better performance with the automatic cars gave the evidence that they should be allowed to shift to automatic cars, where they are less likely to cause more collisions. The older drivers also appeared more comfortable in the automatic cars as a result of the less control involved (Piersma & Waard n.d.: 5). Driving is a mobility activity which cannot be avoided. Even the old find themselves without any option, since they have to drive to their workplaces, or to the groceries shop. Driving safer is not predictable either. The safety in driving is dependent on the way the car handled. Driving involves a lot of concentration and making judgements on the road. Younger drivers will sometimes show a tendency to cause collisions, as a result of their recklessness on the road, and taking dangerous manoeuvres while driving. Driving can however be compromised by age. For instance, older drivers have many physical challenges, which may significantly affect their driving. Their reduced cognitive and motor skills affect their control of the vehicle. The improper control of the vehicle results in collisions, especially in complex situations; such as where there are intersections and sharp corners as well as when overtaking. Safe driving is as a result of reduced driving errors. The type of car used will also determine the safety of the driving. A manual car is likely to lead to more accidents as compared to automatic cars. Young drivers tend to have a full control of both manual and automatic cars as compared to older drivers (Craik 2011: 137-140). Driving involves three primary levels. They are strategic, tactical operational levels. At these levels, young drivers are in a position to do well in the three levels. Strategic level planning involves determination of the route to take. A younger driver tends to make quick and informative decisions on the best course. The young driver is also ready to take any risk he might encounter on the way. Tactical level of driving will, on the other hand, involve perception of the environment, which is a crucial factor while driving. The perception will allow the driver to maintain a safe distance with other drivers while on the road. The operational level of driving involves the actual steering, balancing of the accelerator, brake and all the other controls of the car. All the three levels of driving define the whole process of control of the vehicle. Good performance in each of the three levels will complete a successful driving. Operational skills such as changing gears are affected by the age of a driver. The older drivers may not be able precisely to maintain a proper speed and the correct lane position. An operational task such as shifting gears requires a lot of attention, which demands a lot of cognitive resources. It is however unfortunate that the older drivers may lack these cognitive resources. Lack of the resources renders the older drivers prone to accidents as compared to the younger drivers whose cognitive resources are at their prime stages. Driving of manual cars complicates driving of the older ones, as a result of divided attention between change of gears and the other driving tasks such as steering. The manual cars pose the risk of an older driver engaging the wrong gear. Automatic transmission reduces the gear-related problems, thus driving the driving errors by a significant degree (Craik 2011: 137-140). Discussion In this particular experiment, the older drivers were found to take less risk as compared to young drivers. Despite the reluctance by the older drivers to make swerves, they were involved in more collisions than younger drivers in the manual cars; the collisions were however not experienced in the automatic transmission cars. Nevertheless, the performance of older drivers was worse as compared to that of younger drivers. The poor performance was attributed to the advancement in age. Maintenance of lane was also put in consideration, and it was found that automatic cars provided good control, as they were maintained in the correct lane. For the older drivers, automatic transmission seemed to improve lane-keeping especially for the older drivers (Eby, Molnar, Shope, Vivoda & Fordyce 2003: 371- 381). Cases of collisions were many in the manual cars. The older drivers constituted majority of the victims. The collisions were either as a result of late-breaking or running into a sharp intersection. The collision was attributed to late reactions by the older drivers as a result of poor cognitive resources. The reaction times tend to be longer for older drivers especially in the case of a manual car. This was evidenced by the significantly reduced number of collisions by the same drivers when using automatic transmission cars. Automatic gear shifting worked extremely well for the older drivers (Eby et al. 2003: 371- 381). Evaluation A precise analysis from this research reveals the concluding fact that older drivers should change from manual cars to automatic transmission cars, which are much driver-friendly, reducing the occurrence of accidents. This requires the driver to know when age starts affecting him so that he can make the shift. Like for this particular study, the older drivers were over 65 to 70 years of age. Many accidents are caused by drivers who are above 75 years of age. This means that age has a profound effect on road safety, and also has a lot to do with the type of car driven. Before reaching the dangerous age of 75 years, the drivers should shift to automatic car transmission. The shift may not be readily adapted by all. This is because; some drivers who are used to manual cars may find it difficult to shift to the automatic cars. Older people may have difficulties learning new skills. From this reality, it is advisable that people get trained on driving automatic cars at their younger ages (Wang, Kosinski, Schwartzberg & Shanklin 2003: 12). The research showed the role of the occupational therapists. Their primary function is conduction of driving evaluations. The occupational therapists are certified by two central bodies. One of the bodies is the American Occupational Therapy Association, who have specialised in Speciality Certification in Driving and Community Mobility (SCDCM). The body keeps the occupational therapists on check to ensure that the welfare of the older drivers is well-taken care of (Wang et al. 2003: 13). The other body is the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. This particular authority has specialised in Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (CDRS). Moreover, there are other bodies of older adults and caregivers who have earlier on participated in driving evaluations. These agencies are tasked with advising the older drivers on the best way of assimilating a safer driving culture. For instance, if the driver is too old to drive, such comprehensive driving evaluators should give their opinion to the drivers. The evaluation is an extremely thorough process. The evaluators also provide their recommendation that give a complete picture of the driving skills. The recommendation involves assessment of the current driving ability of the driver and how the driving can be improved. Improvement in the driving skills may involve going back to school for a refresher driving course. The evaluators may also advise such drivers to shift to automatic transmission cars which are much easier and safe to drive (Craik 2011: 137-140). In line with a blueprint by the CAOT, produced in February 2009, there is the need for enhancement of the capacity of older adults in the maintenance of their fitness to drive safely long enough. The blueprint was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and collaborated with CAOT and a National Advisory Committee to ensure safety of the older drivers. The deaths and injuries of older drivers can be reduced by adhering to the requirements of the blueprint which calls for health-related outcomes such as vision, priority goals direction for actions. The blueprint aims at utilizing driving practices that promote health and prevent injury. The blueprint was meant to be used as a tool for informing and influencing policy, practice, education and research pertaining to the safety of older drivers (Craik 2011: 137-140). Conclusion and action plan An automatic transmission car is far much better to drive than a manual one. The ease of driving an automatic car makes it suitable for many motorists especially the older ones. As it has been discussed, automatic cars offer low risks of collisions from the fact that they are easier to control. The older drivers will perform better with automatic cars. It was only in the manual cars that many collisions were witnessed. Resultantly, I would recommend that drivers be trained using automatic transmission cars. The automatic cars will ensure that drivers get used to automatic cars. This will avoid the problem of time required to adapt to automatic cars from the manual ones. Since automatic cars have proved to be suitable to all, regardless of age, they should be the main vehicles used on our roads. Their use will reduce the number of collisions occurring on the roads. My next plan of activity would be to use automatic cars when doing assessments of older drivers. Use of automatic cars will not force me to change anything since they are the best cars for the aged drivers. Bibliography CRAIK, J. M. (2011). Occupational therapists lead a national injury prevention strategy to help older drivers. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78, 137-140. doi:10.2182/cjot.2011.78.2.9 EBY, D. W., MOLNAR, L. J., SHOPE, J. T., VIVODA, J. M., & FORDYCE, T. A. (2003). Improving older driver knowledge and self-awareness through self-assessment: The driving decisions workbook. Journal of safety research, 34(4), 371-381. JOHN MILLER & MARGARET STACEY (2011). The Driving Instructors Handbook. Kogan Page Publishers, 2011 MARTIN, A. J., MAROTTOLI, R., & ONEILL, D. (2009). Driving Assessment for Maintaining Mobility and Safety in Drivers with Dementia (Review). MOSS, D. (2010). The efficient drivers handbook: your guide to fuel efficient driving techniques and car choice. Dorchester, Veloce Pub. PIERSMA, D., & DE WAARD, D. Shifting from manual to automatic gear when growing old: good advice? Results from a driving simulator study. Accessed from http://www.hfes-europe.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Piersma.pdf SELANDER, H., BOLIN, I., & FALKMER, T. (2011). Does automatic transmission improve driving behavior in older drivers?. Gerontology, 58(2), 181-187. WANG, C. C., KOSINSKI, C. J., SCHWARTZBERG, J. S., & SHANKLIN, A. V. (2003). Physicians guide to assessing and counseling older drivers (No. HS-809 647). Read More