WINNIPEG, Man. – A two-year University of Manitoba study is taking a look at the performance of drivers of all ages.

For the study, which starts next spring, two hundred drivers in Winnipeg, aged from 20 to 85 and up, will be selected randomly for the study.

Researchers will put all participants through two courses. The first, a specially designed and controlled course, features a variety of situations and driving conditions.

The second is uncontrolled: drivers may face traffic jams, bicyclists or pedestrians, or clear driving, as they follow a mapped route through the city. The study will be led by Michelle Porter, an assistant professor and physical education specialist. The vehicles will be tracked using global positioning systems in order to record speed, control, acceleration and braking. A video camera mounted in the passenger area of the test car will record what drivers following the uncontrolled route actually see.

“We’re interested in capturing the movements of the vehicle,” she said to local media. n