A recent study published in the Occupational Therapy Journal of Research by researchers at UF found that certain automated vehicle technologies, such as lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise control, may help people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) improve their on-road driving performance. The study is the first of its kind to examine the efficacy of driver technologies on patients with mild to moderate PD.
“This randomized clinical trial is the first to our knowledge that investigated the efficacy of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) on the driving performance of people with mild to moderate PD,” said the study’s principal investigator, Sherrilene Classen, Ph.D., professor and chair of the UF Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Public Health and Health Professions
One hundred and seven patients with PD participated in the driving study. Under the supervision of the research team, patients drove a test vehicle equipped with ADAS and IVIS technology. ADAS are systems integrated within a vehicle, such as adaptive cruise control, which can take over some driving tasks. IVIS technology, available in most vehicles today either through a smartphone app or directly added by the car manufacturer, provides drivers with information on road conditions, lane departure warnings, and driver alert warnings.
The study has shown some exciting results. When drivers with PD drove a vehicle on a highway with this technology switched on, the researchers noticed that patients made fewer driving errors. For example, speeding errors were reduced through adaptive cruise control, which helped to correct the vehicles’ speed. When the technology was switched off, drivers with PD made more driving errors. This shows the potential of ADAS and IVIS technologies to keep patients with PD safer on the road.
“The data indicate that plausible opportunities exist for drivers with PD to improve their driving performance,” Classen said. “This is particularly relevant for drivers who use ADAS and IVIS, as tested in this study, to improve their speed maintenance on the interstate and experience an overall reduction of driving errors such as (under or over) speeding, lane maintenance, and/or signaling on roads in residential and city areas.”
Although the results show much promise regarding the on-road benefits of PD patients using vehicles with ADAS and IVIS, some challenges still need to be addressed. For example, memory issues related to short-term recall could prevent some PD patients from remembering how to use these technologies. Also, the researchers will need to test how PD patients fare in different driving conditions.
While adaptive cruise control and lane assist technologies have the potential to help PD patients, the study’s co-principal investigator, Wayne Chi Wei Giang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UF Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, explains that care must be taken to ensure drivers use these technologies within their designed limits.
“A big challenge with automated driving systems is teaching drivers when they can rely on these technologies and when they can’t,” Giang said. “For drivers with Parkinson’s disease, learning how much trust to place in these systems will be a key focus of future research.”
Through the use of automated technologies, Classen and her team’s work could lead to the creation of programs and initiatives to help individuals with PD stay on the road longer and safer while preserving their independence in their respective communities.