Sydney, May 26 (IANS) Older drivers, especially those aged over 65 years, tend to overestimate their driving skills.

 
 Prof Karen Sullivan, neuropsychologist at the Queensland University of Technology, based her study on 98 drivers with an average age of 71, with a mean 51 years of driving experience.
 
 They were asked to self-rate their driving ability and then undertake a computer-simulated task in which they had to recognise and react to potential road hazards, according to a Queensland statement.
 
 Participants also rated their driving confidence and reported on the extent to which they avoided potentially dangerous driving conditions such as driving at night or in the rain.
 
 "Our analysis showed little relationship between the participants' performance on the hazard perception test and the ratings they gave themselves," Sullivan said.
 
 "We also found that decreases in the ability to perceive potential hazards were not matched by a reduction in confidence in the ability to handle difficult driving conditions nor by avoiding these many potentially dangerous driving situations.
 
 "This suggests that self-assessment is not an accurate way for older drivers to assess their driving," she said.
 
 Sullivan said the drivers had generally positive perceptions of their driving skills and rated themselves as considerably more skilled than the average driver despite the study's finding that time taken to respond to potential hazards increased with age.