Senior

 

 

Originally published in the AAA Foundation for traffic Safety.

Seniors represent the fastest-growing segment of drivers, with current projections suggesting that a quarter of all drivers will be over 65 by 2025. Although seniors have an overall crash rate comparable to that of 20- and 30-year-old drivers, they are the most fragile drivers on the road, with a higher death rate per mile driven than any other group.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety uses its research and education resources to learn more about the needs and challenges of senior drivers and to identify ways to help people remain active, mobile, and safe.

For example, we published recent studies in the area of senior driving to provide information and alternatives for seniors. One recent study looked at an alternative for seniors who might not qualify for licensing under standard road tests. Other studies look at issues such as licensing policies across the nation and how in-car technologies affect senior safety.

The AAA Foundation also created an interactive database, Roadwise Rx, that helps seniors and other drivers identify how side effects and interactions from both prescription and over-the-counter medications can impair driving. Through tools like this database, we hope to provide resources seniors can use to evaluate and manage their driving risks.

Finally, we offer a self-assessment brochure, Drivers 65+: Check Your Performance (PDF), that seniors can use to screen for potential driving risk factors.