Social and Non-social Hazard Response in Drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Haley Johnson Bishop, Fred J Biasini, Despina Stavrinos
PMID 28070791WHAT IT FOUND
Drivers with autism did not differ significantly from matched controls in simulated hazard responses.
Controls reacted faster to social hazards, but the group difference was not significant.
Key findings
01The main effect of hazard type was not significant for reaction time or average speed, but collisions were 94% fewer around social hazards.
02The group by hazard type interaction was not significant for collisions or speed exceedances.
03Typically developing controls reacted faster to social hazards than non-social hazards, while drivers with autism did not show a significant difference.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was small: 32 drivers, including 16 with autism. All participants already held a full driver's license, so the study does not represent people with autism who cannot drive or are learning to drive. Some participants with autism had autism symptom scores below the clinical cutoff of 32, and as low as 22. The autism group drove fewer days per week than controls, and the researchers adjusted for this difference. The driving was simulated, and it is unclear how the results translate to real-world driving. Social and non-social hazards were not balanced on size, complexity, surprise, and anticipation. The study did not collect information on whether participants had previously completed a hazard perception test. The study tested driving performance, not a driving training programme.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. Funding is not reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that drivers with autism are unsafe drivers or have impaired hazard perception. The study did not find a significant group difference in hazard responses for collisions or speeding, and the reaction-time difference was only marginal. All participants already had a full driver's license, so the sample does not represent people with autism who cannot drive.