(CAMBRIDGE, MA) New technology reduces the crash risk of senior drivers and can keep them safely on the road for a longer period of time, according to data presented at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) today to a national gathering of aging experts. Jeff Zimman, Chairman of Posit Science®, the leader in brain fitness software, spoke on “Mobility for Tomorrow” as part of the Shaping Life Tomorrow conference, convened by MIT AgeLab.
“Driving is essential to leading a rich life in most areas of our country,” said Zimman. “As we age, most of us want to be able to keep driving as long as we can safely. This past summer, brain fitness technology that achieves that goal and that had previously been available only to study participants became commercially available to everyone.”
The technology, called DriveSharp™, was brought to market by Posit Science as cognitive software for people concerned with their driving. After a thorough review of some 60 medical and science journal articles that have appeared in recent years attesting to a long list of benefits of these training exercises, DriveSharp is recommended by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
In his talk, Zimman reviewed numerous studies that have shown that users of the exercises in DriveSharp, on average, cut their at-fault crash risk in half, doubled their visual processing speed and improved their reaction time sufficiently to increase stopping distance. A multi-year study released this year also showed that those who completed the brain training exercises drove further, more frequently and under more varied conditions. They were less likely to give up driving and were able to continue driving with greater safety.
Zimman also cited a number of studies that have shown that these and other Posit Science exercises deliver benefits beyond driving, including better memory, attention, wider field of view, quicker processing, higher functional independence and better health-related quality of life. A white paper by aging technology analyst Laurie Orlov reviewed multiple studies, including ACTIVE, IMPACT and SKILL, and concluded that these exercises can help people “age in place” or “in the place of their choosing.”
Based on the study results, Posit Science recommends people use the DriveSharp program for about an hour a week for 8-10 weeks to tune up their abilities to the levels seen in the studies.
DriveSharp is available for $89 at www.PositScience.com or at a discount through AAA clubs at www.DriveSharpNow.com. Last week, Posit Science partnered with AAA to donate $1 million dollars in software to Massachusetts public libraries.