Safe Driving For Older Adults

By 2030, 20 percent of the world's drivers, 60 million in all, will be over the age of 65. Consequently, safe and efficient mobility for older adults is a complex and pressing issue. Maintaining Safe Mobility in an Aging Society addresses the complexities surrounding the booming number of aging drivers and practical solutions for sustaining safe tr

Affordable, easy-to-use, and flexible transportation options are vital to older adults' quality of life. Community Mobility: Driving and Transportation Alternatives for Older Persons provides physical and occupational therapists with recent research findings on older driver assessment, remediation/rehabilitation, and the use of alternatives to the car in the event that older adults need to “retire” from driving. This unique book addresses changes in driving patterns over time, the impact of climate conditions on driving, mental and physical health issues, self-regulation by drivers, and driver safety. Community Mobility addresses changes in driving patterns over time, the impact of climate conditions on driving, mental and physical health issues, self-regulation by drivers, and driver safety. This unique book also includes summaries of recent consensus conferences held in the United States and Canada to determine the best approaches to therapist services and counseling. Community Mobility examines: the effect of alternative forms of transportation on drivers in declining mental and physical health safety interventions the relationship between chronic illness and an elderly driver’s “home range” road conditions versus driving patterns factors that can act as predictors in mobility patterns self-regulation and adaptation strategies effective remediation techniques a comprehensive driving evaluation (CDE) and much more! Community Mobility is an essential resource for anyone working with elderly drivers who face the loss of independence and the decreased access to social activities, medical services, and other basic needs that accompany “retirement” from the driver’s seat.

This volume examines issues related to senior citizens and driving.

This pamphlet is a practical guide with helpful suggestions on safe driving for older people. A discussion of the controversy surrounding older people's driving ability begins the pamphlet. Effects of aging on driving are discussed, including affects on vision, twilight and night driving, hearing, muscles and joints, and mental functions. It is noted that certain aspects of older drivers' health, such as medication use, may affect driving. Six situations in which older drivers most often make mistakes are discussed and suggestions are given to avoid errors. These include: (1) failure to yield right-of-way; (2) turning; (3) running lights; (4) improper changing of lanes; (5) improper passing; and (6) improper highway driving. Tips are given for bad weather driving, driving defensively, and long-distance driving. Pedestrian safety and seat belt safety are discussed. Continuing driving education is recommended. Safety when buying a new car and insurance for the older person are discussed. Recommendations are made to improve car and road design for older drivers and advice is given on when an older person should stop driving. (ABL)

As people age, their physical, visual, & cognitive abilities may decline, making it more difficult for them to drive safely. Older drivers are also more likely to suffer injuries or die in crashes than drivers in other age groups. These safety issues will increase in significance because older adults represent the fastest-growing U.S. population segment. This report examined: (1) what the fed. gov¿t. has done to promote practices to make roads safer for older drivers & the extent to which states have implemented those practices; (2) the extent to which states assess the fitness of older drivers & what support the fed. gov¿t. has provided; & (3) what initiatives selected states have implemented to improve the safety of older drivers. Includes recommendations. Illustrations.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 348: Improving the Safety of Older Road Users examines programs and policies in place across the country to improve the safety and mobility of older road users. The report documents a range of strategies and related programs under way in roadway engineering, driver licensing, public information and education, and enforcement and adjudication.

With the aging of the Baby Boomers and ensuing Gray Tsunami in Florida leading the USA, older drivers who are unfit to drive must be identified. The gold standard on-road test is expensive, sophisticated, not available to many older drivers, and can only be validly conducted by a certified driver rehabilitation specialist of whom we have about 500 in the nation. To overcome these limitations, we have developed the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure (FTDS, previously known as the Safe Driving Behavior Measure or SDBM), a free web-based tool ready for use by certified driver rehabilitation specialists (CDRS), occupational therapy practitioners, other health care professionals, and the caregivers/ family members of older drivers. This study used mixed methods, including item response theory, to refine self-report and proxy versions of a screening tool measuring driving behaviors of older adults, the SDBM.