If the statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are to be believed, there has been an increase in the number of older drivers since 1999. In 2016, there were 42 million older drivers having a license. This accounts for a 56 percent increase and that’s huge! This big increase came with some serious consequences as well.

With older people getting on the roads with their cars, their safety was at risk. In 2016, the accidents increased in the US and people above the age of 65 were in major car accidents with 7,400 of them losing their lives.

This is when Cognitive Training for Car Driving (CTCD) came to the rescue. This technique developed by scientists has proved to be highly beneficial for elderly people who are driving. It is paving the way towards safe driving!

What are the essentials for Cognitive Training for Car Driving (CTCD)? It may sound complicated to you, but here’s all you need for the execution:

A set-top box

A TV

And, of course, the user’s time and inclination towards the game.

It doesn’t ask for anything more than this and in return, polishes the person’s driving skills and makes them safe.

This game was tested on 60 people who were in the range of 65 to 80 years old. The ones who dedicated 20 minutes of their day to CTCD got better at driving after six weeks of being involved in the game.

A specialist in aging at Tohoku University in Japan, Dr. Rui Nouchi has commented on these important results and said that Cognitive Training for Car Driving is contributing to the safety of older adults while driving. They would further research the training game to find its effect on the number of accidents involving older people.

The game includes some helpful exercises that help in cognitive development and all its aspects are considered.

In the beginning, the screen shows two signs with two numbers and the person has to quickly pick the larger number. This is entirely time-based.

The person is also trained for predicting the speed of the objects in the video game.
There are some beneficial attention exercises as well. One of them is based on recognizing the target which is making its way towards them on the screen. The participant needs to press if they think the approaching target is human.

A proper systematic investigation was done based on these exercises and the people who participated in the game. The results were noted for every domain: cognitive, emotional condition and of course, the car driving abilities.

The ones who played other video games (OVG) lacked firm control while driving as compared to the CTCD players. CTCD definitely improved their driving skills!

This is a great invention in the field of video games which are usually considered as entertainment. Now, it is way more than that with the introduction of Cognitive Training for Car Driving (CTCD).

The post This Video Game Helps Elderly People Feel Safe While Driving appeared first on The Nerd Series.