Users of the exercises in DriveSharp, on average, cut their at-fault crash risk in half.
A software program that purports to work on brain fitness is said to reduce the crash risk of senior drivers and can keep them safely on the road for a longer period, according to Jeff Zimman, Chairman of Posit Science.
The claim was made based on data presented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) today to a national gathering of aging experts.
Zimman spoke on “Mobility for Tomorrow” as part of the Shaping Life Tomorrow conference, convened by MIT’s AgeLab.
Massachusetts is considering legislation to re-test older drivers in the wake of high profile crashes this past summer.
“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 product, called DriveSharp, was brought to market by Posit Science as “cognitive software for people concerned with their driving.” DriveSharp is an interactive series of game-like computer exercise.
Zimman claimed that after a review of some 60 medical and science journal articles that have appeared in recent years attesting to a list of benefits of these training exercises, DriveSharp is said to be recommended by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The respected AAA foundation confirmed to TDB that it does in fact recommend DriveSharp.
In his talk, Zimman reviewed 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.
Posit claims that 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. 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 collaborated with AAA to donate $1 million dollars in software to Massachusetts public libraries.