DRIVER PROGRAMS

The approaching, unprecedented surge in the population of older Americans deserves thoughtful anticipation, with innovative programs that satisfy two apparently contradictory social imperatives. The continuing mobility of seniors in their 70s, 80s, and older must be assured. Emphasis must be placed on keeping older people driving as long as they safely can and providing safe, convenient, desirable, and dignified transportation alternatives when they cannot. At the same time, the increasing likelihood of decline in the various functional capabilities needed to drive safely--an undeniable consequence of normal aging plus a higher incidence of chronic and acute medical conditions--makes it a public health priority to identify and assess individuals who pose risks to themselves and others by continuing to drive. Progress in developing and integrating initiatives in these areas and promising future directions are discussed in this paper. The scope of this discussion includes the following principal components: Goals and techniques for the assessment of driver capabilities; Remediation of older drivers with known impairments and counseling of such people and their care-givers to help find the best transportation options available to meet their mobility needs; Current programs and promising directions for licensed older drivers; and Recognition that although older drivers do not present a greater risk to other road users than middle-aged drivers do, they are at greater risk to themselves because of their greater fragility; their activities may be limited by self-imposed restrictions, which they place on their driving as well.

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  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conf/reports/cp_27.pdf
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  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • Staplin, Loren
  • Hunt, L
• Conference:
  • Transportation in an Aging Society: A Decade of Experience
  • Location: Bethesda Maryland, United States
  • Date: 1999-11-7 to 1999-11-9
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 69-94
• Monograph Title: TRANSPORTATION IN AN AGING SOCIETY: A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE. TECHNICAL PAPERS AND REPORTS FROM A CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER 7-9, 1999, BETHESDA, MARYLAND
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Conference Proceedings
  • Issue Number: 27
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 1073-1652

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Aged drivers; Attention; Counseling; Evaluation and assessment; Memory; Mobility; Motor skills; Public health; Risk analysis; Safety; Vision
• Uncontrolled Terms: Remediation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00974945
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309077451
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 24 2004 12:00AM