Abstract

The rapid growth of the global aging population presents a significant challenge to road safety, as older drivers face unique risk factors that lead to disproportionately higher rates of traffic-related injuries and fatalities when adjusted for distance traveled. One major contributor to this elevated risk is age-related physical decline. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of DriveSafe60+, a mobile application designed to enhance driving competence and learning among older adults. The application comprises five core components: Driving Ability Test, Health & Alert System, Driving Tips & Training, Safe Driving Report, and Emergency Support (SOS), which were developed based on the competency assessment frameworks of AAMVA, WHO road safety guidelines, Connected Health principles, and Adult Learning Theory. A one-group time-series design was employed with 100 licensed older drivers who used the application for 4 weeks. Driving competence, specifically confidence and decision-making, was assessed before, during, and after application use. Results from a One-way Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated statistically significant improvements in driving competence across all measurement points (F = 1599.932, p < .001). These findings demonstrate that DriveSafe60+ effectively enhanced older adults’ self-awareness and confidence in driving-related decision-making by supporting self-regulated learning and adaptive driving behaviors. The study suggests that mobile technology is a feasible and practical approach to promoting safer, longer driving among older adults in an aging society.

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