Factors increasing safety of the disabled road users

Motor Transport Institute, Transport Telematics Center, 80 Jagiellońska Str., 03-301 Warsaw, Poland

^* Corresponding author: monika.ucinska@its.waw.pl

Abstract

A report by the World Health Organization indicates that over one billion people in the world are affected by some form of disability or have limited fitness, and 200 million have difficulties in functioning [1]. In Poland, according to the statistics, there are 7.5 million people with functional limitations, including almost 2.5 million those in a significant degree [2]. Many people with different dysfunctions drive vehicles, among this group there are also older people, who, with age experience the reduction of many functions affecting the safe driving of the vehicle. To assess some factors increasing the safety of disabled participants in the road traffic, selected psychomotor aspects have been verified. This article presents analyses related to determining the capabilities of people with disabilities depending on whether the disability was congenital or acquired. These drivers were also compared with non-disabled road users. Psychomotor performance was checked using the DTS (Driver Test Station) device. It was noticed that people with acquired disability do better in the majority of tests measuring both pressure forces and reactions of particular limbs in comparison with people with a congenital disability. The research presented sets the direction for further explorations, mainly due to the small group of respondents, but they can nevertheless form the basis for further hypotheses and their verification.