For older adults, mobility is essential to staying engaged, active, and independent, experts say.
The number of adults 65 and older has increased by 29% between 2012 and 2021 in the United States, and many older adults continue to be active drivers on the nation’s roads.
For older adults, mobility is essential to staying engaged, active, and independent, experts say.
But in 2021,nearly 7,500 people in that age group were killed in traffic crashes, accounting for 17% of all traffic fatalities.
“As people age, their physical, visual, and cognitive functions can decline,” the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted, “making them more vulnerable to severe injury or even death when involved in a vehicle crash. Being proactive about safe driving skills, learning ways to identify changes early, and intervening as soon as possible can help older drivers maintain safe mobility.”
To raise awareness and to promote safe driving behavior among older adults nationwide, the federal agency supports the annual Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, which this year will take place December 4-8, 2023.
NHTSA offers information and guidance to help the families and caretakers of older drivers. Among the recommendations “to help drivers remain behind the wheel as long as they can do so safely” are to: discuss a “transportation plan” that may help identify alternative transportation options; encourage regular vision and hearing checks; request that health care providers review medications for potential interactions, and promote understanding and familiarity with the latest vehicle safety features and special adaptive devices.
In Europe, the issue of safety of older drivers on European roads is also being addressed.
The European Union is currently reviewing driving license rules, and the European Commission has proposed mandatory age-based driving license renewal – including regular medical checks – after the age of 70, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), a Brussels-based independent non-profit organization.
“Such a blanket rule is discriminatory. Instead, family doctors should use a screening protocol across all age groups to flag medical conditions that could impact fitness to drive,” the safety group said, which earlier this month released a new report, “Reducing Older People’s Deaths on European Roads.”
“As Europe’s population continues to age,” Jenny Carson, a co-author of the report, said in a statement, “this report emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to road safety for older people that balances safety measures with the benefits of active travel, independence, and mobility.”
The ETSC recently hosted an online event to explore strategies for making roads safer “Improving Road Safety for Older People in Europe,” which included a presentation by Professor Desmond O’Neill, chair of the Irish Society of Physicians in Geriatric Medicine, who “believes that such a measure is discriminatory and can have negative effects,” the safety group noted.
“Older individuals face a heightened susceptibility to trauma compared to other age groups, primarily due to an increased fatality risk resulting from physical impacts as they age,” researchers said. “When a collision occurs, it can have more severe consequences for older individuals. Furthermore, older road users often contend with age-related limitations, making it imperative to proactively prevent injuries among this demographic.”
The report includes recent data about road deaths among older people across the European Union and other countries, highlighting disparities among countries and measures aimed at reducing risks for older road users, including strategies that address modifying behavior, improving infrastructure, and enhancing vehicle safety.
The report also explores issues like older adult fitness to drive and training, reducing speed limits, implementing lower speed zones and traffic calming measures, establishing secure pedestrian crossings, and maintaining high-quality footpaths.