ELDERLY PEDESTRIANS AND DRIVERS: THE PROBLEM THAT REFUSES TO GO AWAY

THE ELDERLY PEDESTRIAN RUNS A CONSIDERABLE RISK OF HAVING HIS LIFE ENDED IN THE STREET AND THE ELDERLY DRIVER ENCOUNTERS A TASK WHICH MAY BE IN THE BOUNDARY- LANDS OF HIS PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR SKILLS; HE FACES, AS WELL, FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT HOW LONG HE CAN MAINTAIN HIS DRIVING PRIVILEGES. IN STUDYING THE PROBLEM OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE ANSWER LIES NOT IN EFFORTS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOR OF EITHER PEDESTRIANS OR DRIVERS THROUGH EDUCATION OR ENFORCEMENT, BUT IN CITY PLANNING AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING. DATA ON DRIVING PATTERNS AND ACCIDENT INVOLVEMENT OF AGED DRIVERS INDICATE THAT THE ACCIDENT RECORD OF DRIVERS OVER 65 IS WORTHY OF CONCERN; THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER AND PROPORTION OF DRIVERS OVER 65 WILL INCREASE IN THE NEXT FEW DECADES; AND THE OLDER DRIVER MAY REQUIRE SPECIAL SCRUTINY ON THE PART OF THOSE ISSUING DRIVING PERMITS. A SYSTEM OF MULTIPHASE DRIVER LICENSE EXAMINATION OF THE ELDERLY AND AN OUTLINE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT IT ARE PRESENTED. /HSL/

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Miami, Coral Gables

  Coral Gables, FL  United States  33124
• Authors:
  • Wiener, E L
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 68 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Aged; Aged drivers; Crashes; Driving tests; Pedestrians
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224230
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 5 1973 12:00AM