The Development and Efficacy of a Theory-Based Educational Curriculum to Promote Self-Regulation Among High-Risk Older Drivers

Knowledge Enhances Your Safety (KEYS) is a curriculum developed for older drivers who maintain driving privileges while coping with visual limitations that increase crash risk. KEYS' goal is to promote safe driving through self-awareness of vision impairment and adopting self-regulatory strategies. We discuss KEYS' theoretical framework based on the tenants of the Social Cognitive Theory, Health Belief and Transtheoretical Models, and Principles of Self-Regulation and Regulatory Self-Efficacy. Baseline and 6-month posttest evaluations tested its efficacy in terms of theoretical construct outcomes. KEYS' participants improved self-perceptions of vision impairment, perceived a greater number of benefits in the performance of self-regulatory behaviors, and moved closer to the preparation and action/maintenance stages of change. Results indicate that high-risk older drivers benefit from educational interventions that promote self-awareness and self-regulation of driving. Future work will evaluate KEYS' efficacy for high-risk older drivers in promoting driver behavior changes and its impact on crash involvement.