The　number　of　elderly　drivers　in　China　continues　to　grow,　and　the　changes　in　the　driver　structure　pose　challenges　to　traffic　safety.　Compared　to　drivers　in　other　age　groups,　elderly　drivers’psychological　function　gradually　declines　and　they　are　more　prone　to　traffic　accidents.　Cognitive　function　is　significantly　correlated　with　driving　safety　performance.　Based　on　the　driving　characteristics　of　elderly　people,　this　article　started　from　three　cognitive　functional　areas　of　attention　response　ability,　executive　processing　ability,　and　spatial　perception　ability,　and　designed　driving　simulation　experiments　to　obtain　cognitive　driving　behavior　data.　It　analyzed　the　differences　in　driving　behavior　characteristics　among　young　people,　middle-aged　people,　and　elderly　people.　By　combining　subjective　and　objective　methods　to　determine　indicator,　weights,　a　method　for　calculating　the　cognitive　driving　behavior　index　was　proposed.　A　generalized　linear　mixed　model　was　established　with　driver　attributes　and　cognitive　function　as　independent　variables　and　cognitive　driving　behavior　index　as　dependent　variable　to　explore　the　impact　of　different　factors　on　cognitive　driving　ability.　The　results　showed　that　age,　weekly　driving　frequency,　self-regulation,　and　TMT-B　(Trail　Making　Test-B)　were　significantly　correlated　with　cognitive　driving　behavior　index,　with　MMSE　(Mini-mental　State　Examination)　showing　marginal　significant　correlation.　The　cognitive　driving　behavior　index　of　elderly　drivers　was　greatly　influenced　by　individual　traits.　Compared　to　the　elderly,　the　cognitive　driving　behavior　index　of　young　people　was　worse,　while　that　of　middle-aged　people　was　better.　People　with　lower　weekly　driving　frequency　had　better　cognitive　driving　behavior　index　than　those　with　higher　weekly　driving　frequency.　Drivers　with　low　and　medium　self-regulation　frequencies　have　better　cognitive　driving　behavior　indices　than　those　with　high　self-regulation　frequencies.　TMT-B　measurement　showed　that　the　cognitive　driving　behavior　index　of　drivers　with　normal　cognition　was　better　than　those　with　cognitive　impairment.　Starting　from　the　perspective　of　human　factors　in　traffic　accidents,　this　study　explored　the　cognitive　challenges　faced　by　elderly　drivers,　proposed　a　calculation　method　for　the　cognitive　driving　behavior　index　of　elderly　people,　and　analyzed　the　influencing　factors,　providing　reference　for　simplifying　the　evaluation　process　of　elderly　driving　suitability　and　formulating　driving　safety　intervention　strategies.　©　2024　South　China　University　of　Technology.　All　rights　reserved.