Promoting Driver Safety & Mobility Options in Livable, Senior-Friendly Communities North Carolina Conference on Aging September 11, 2007 Fran Carlin-Rogers, Carlin Rogers Consulting, Orlando, Florida Suzanne LaFollette-Black, North Carolina AARP Jane Stutts, UNC Highway Safety Research Center Phyllis Bridgeman, NC Division of Aging & Adult Services
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Promoting Driver Safety & Mobility Options in Livable, Senior-Friendly Communities
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Promoting Driver Safety & Mobility Options
in Livable, Senior-Friendly Communities
North Carolina Conference on AgingSeptember 11, 2007
Fran Carlin-Rogers, Carlin Rogers Consulting, Orlando, FloridaSuzanne LaFollette-Black, North Carolina AARP
Jane Stutts, UNC Highway Safety Research CenterPhyllis Bridgeman, NC Division of Aging & Adult Services
Goals of Today’s Workshop
Have a basic understanding of how promoting driver safety and mobility issues are integral to advancing livable, senior friendly communities
Become familiar with the array of safe driving and mobility programs, resources and options available to older adults in their communities
White House Conference on Aging 2005 Select Top Ranked Recommendations
# 3 Transportation Options:“ Ensure that Older Americans have transportation options to
retain their mobility and independence”
# 47 Capacity for Safe Driving:“ Support Older Drivers to Retain Mobility and Independence
through Strategies to Continue Safe Driving”
Source: www.whcoa.gov
More older peopleMore of them will be drivingDriving more miles than ever beforeDriving at older ages than ever beforeMore women drivingFew real alternatives to driving
National Overview
The Issue…
Consider This…
As a group, older drivers are safe Self-regulation & necessary reductions in driving
work for most Still, due to increased frailty, older adults are
more likely to die when involved in car crashes Increased frequency of medical conditions at
about age 55 Increased frailties of age put elder @ greater
risk for serious injury or death
2001 National Household Transportation Survey 90% of all trips taken in automobile For individuals who stop driving, 1% use public
transportation 1-2% of all seniors use of public transportation Bus use increases for long distance trips
(1% for 25-54 y.o to 6% for 75+) 9% of Americans walk to their destinations Non drivers take far fewer & shorter trips
Important Issues
Most radical increase of at risk crashes comes with medical conditions which impact cognitive skills
Identification of drivers who are medically at risk
Testing should be focused on ability, not age!
It’s Not The Years….. It’s The Mileage!
Many diseases & conditions may
impair driving skill: Medication use Effects of anesthesia & surgery Vision (cataract, macular degeneration, glaucoma) Cardiovascular (arrhythmias, CHF,Vavular HD) Cerebrovascular (stroke, TIA, etc) Neurologic (Brain tumor, Dementia,Migraine, Head
May not restrict driving as others doLack of recognition of traffic situationsConfusion about environmentDriving environment is more complexCrash risk is 7.6 times higher than healthy
drivers ( age matched)Loss of appropriate reactions
Why a focus on driving?
At least two reasons:
Older adults (like everyone else) are highly dependent on cars for meeting their transportation needs
The safety of older drivers presents special challenges.
Initiated by the UNC-CH Highway Safety Research Center under a grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program
Initial partners in 2004 [AARP and the Division of Aging and Adult Services] soon became 20 partners
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
NC DOT traffic engineers
NC DMV, Medical Evaluation Branch
Physicians and Occupational Therapists
NC Assistive Technology Program
NC MS Society
AAA Carolinas
University researchers
Law enforcement
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
September 2005 – new role for the Coalition
NC Executive Committee for Highway Safety, Older Driver Working Group
Examples of other issue groups:
Aggressive driving
Unlicensed drivers
Inattentive drivers
Speeding
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Identification of needs and ways a coalition might respond
Mission and membership
Sharing of current programs & activities
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Immediate focus on roadway improvements and community awareness
Promoting safer roadways for older drivers, especially signage
Raising general awareness among not only older drivers and families, but also planners, engineers, doctors, and other health care professionals
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Roadway improvements Identification of locations where older drivers
were over-involved in crashes 5 sites selected for greater examination Characteristics of crashes to identify common
factors for older drivers Identifiable “fixes”?
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Raising community awareness Toolkit of resources and information
Broad array of information useful to many different audiences
Community forumsDMV license examiner officesSenior centers
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Raising community awareness - 5 community forums across NC in 2006
Wilmington
Greensboro
Waynesville
RTP
Southern Pines
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Strategies of the Older Driver Working Group currently in process
Signage
Roadway and driving environment
Hazardous intersections for older drivers
Senior driver safety website for NC
Law enforcement capacity building
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Accomplishments to date Community forums in five pilot locations and
development of community toolkits CarFit events Training for DOT engineers on federal
guidelines for highway design for older drivers and pedestrians
Identification of hazardous intersections to serve as pilot for systematic upgrading to improve safety
Law enforcement training
NC Senior Driver Safety Coalition
Future work Working with health care professionals to
identify and assist high-risk drivers
Public education through a web site, DMV materials, and adaptations of tool kit for special audiences
Assistance to communities in forming local coalitions
GAO Report: Older Driver Safety07-413 April, 2007
“Older Driver Safety: Knowledge Sharing Should Help States Prepare for Increase in Older Driver Population”
www.gao.gov/new.items/d7413.pdf
The title says it all! Risk will increase with ↑ population;↑ ages; ↑ mileage Drivers with dementia is a particular concern States should be allowed to share information & best