Conclusions The Timed Up- and -Go test measure appears not to be a useful measure of physical functioning for the driving outcomes included here .
The Rapid Pace Walk may be useful in studies of driving ability and exposure .
Background Improving physical functioning may be a future intervention to keep older adults driving safely longer as it can help maintain both physical and cognitive health longer .
This systematic review assesses the evidence on the association between three physical functioning measures : the Short Physical Performance Battery , the Timed Up- and -Go test , and the Rapid Pace Walk with driving outcomes in older adults .
Exercise can improve speed of behavior in older drivers.
The main aim of this research was to study the effects of a specific exercise program on the speed of behavior of older adults during on-the-road driving . Twenty-six drivers ( 55 - 78 yr old ) were r and omly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group . The exercise program ( 3 sessions of 60 min/wk for 8 wk ) incorporated tasks that induced the participants to respond quickly to challenging situations . On-the-road driving tasks ( under single- and dual-task conditions ) included measures of simple and choice reaction time , movement time , and response time . Significant positive effects were found at follow-up result ing from participation in the exercise program : Improvements were found for several measures in all driving tasks , and a composite score reflected a better general drivers ' speed of behavior . These results show that exercise can enhance speed of behavior in older drivers and should therefore be promoted
Conclusions The Timed Up- and -Go test measure appears not to be a useful measure of physical functioning for the driving outcomes included here .
The Rapid Pace Walk may be useful in studies of driving ability and exposure .
Background Improving physical functioning may be a future intervention to keep older adults driving safely longer as it can help maintain both physical and cognitive health longer .
This systematic review assesses the evidence on the association between three physical functioning measures : the Short Physical Performance Battery , the Timed Up- and -Go test , and the Rapid Pace Walk with driving outcomes in older adults .