Comparing Various Attention Functions in Drivers with/without Crash and their Relation with Age

Impairment in attention and concentration is one of the major causes of traffic accidents. Between 20 to 50 percent of accidents involving forms of distraction and inattention is. This is study sought to examine the influence attention skills in safe driving. Thus, was attempted to measure and compare selective attention، divided attention and attention tolerance in two groups of drivers with and without accident experience. Two groups of drivers, one with 155 members each having more than one culpable driving accident, the other with 145 members with no previous accidents, and both having more than two years of active driving experience., who were entered in this research through matched group method, with using selective and divided attention test, stroop test and continuous performance test, were tested their selective and distributed attention and alertness. There was significant difference between the two groups with and without driving accident in correct response and reaction time to stimulus in congruent and disparate stroop tests and in concentrated and diffused attention tests. There was a meaningful positive relation between age and reaction time in congruent and disparate stroop and in concentrated attention test, but there was a meaningful negative relation between age and the correct response in congruent stroop and in the concentrated and diffused attention test. The cognitive test of attention can make a distinction between the accident prone and competent driver. It is necessary to be considered to loss of cognitive abilities due to aging. But due to limitations of standardized, should be Cautious, in generalizing results of this types of test.