Older Driver Safety Concern Rises In U.S. & Europe As Population Ages

The number of adults 65 and older has accrued by 29% betwixt 2012 and 2021 successful nan United States, and galore older adults proceed to beryllium progressive drivers connected nan nation's roads.

For older adults, mobility is basal to staying engaged, active, and independent, experts say.

But successful 2021,nearly 7,500 group successful that property group were killed successful postulation crashes, accounting for 17% of each postulation fatalities.

“As group age, their physical, visual, and cognitive functions tin decline,” nan U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted, “making them much susceptible to terrible wounded aliases moreover decease erstwhile progressive successful a conveyance crash. Being proactive astir safe driving skills, learning ways to place changes early, and intervening arsenic soon arsenic imaginable tin thief older drivers support safe mobility.”

To raise consciousness and to beforehand safe driving behaviour among older adults nationwide, nan national agency supports nan yearly Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, which this twelvemonth will return spot December 4-8, 2023.

NHTSA offers accusation and guidance to thief nan families and caretakers of older drivers. Among nan recommendations “to thief drivers stay down nan instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic they tin do truthful safely” are to: talk a “transportation plan” that whitethorn thief place replacement proscription options; promote regular imagination and proceeding checks; petition that wellness attraction providers reappraisal medications for imaginable interactions, and beforehand knowing and familiarity pinch nan latest conveyance information features and typical adaptive devices.

In Europe, nan rumor of information of older drivers connected European roads is besides being addressed.

The European Union is presently reviewing driving licence rules, and nan European Commission has projected mandatory age-based driving licence renewal – including regular aesculapian checks – aft nan property of 70, according to nan European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), a Brussels-based independent non-profit organization.

“Such a broad norm is discriminatory. Instead, family doctors should usage a screening protocol crossed each property groups to emblem aesculapian conditions that could effect fittingness to drive,” nan information group said, which earlier this period released a caller report, “Reducing Older People’s Deaths connected European Roads.”

“As Europe’s organization continues to age,” Jenny Carson, a co-author of nan report, said successful a statement, “this study emphasizes nan request for a broad attack to roadworthy information for older group that balances information measures pinch nan benefits of progressive travel, independence, and mobility.”

The ETSC precocious hosted an online event to research strategies for making roads safer “Improving Road Safety for Older People successful Europe,” which included a position by Professor Desmond O’Neill, chair of nan Irish Society of Physicians successful Geriatric Medicine, who “believes that specified a measurement is discriminatory and tin person antagonistic effects,” nan information group noted.

“Older individuals look a heightened susceptibility to trauma compared to different property groups, chiefly owed to an accrued fatality consequence resulting from beingness impacts arsenic they age,” researchers said. “When a collision occurs, it tin person much terrible consequences for older individuals. Furthermore, older roadworthy users often contend pinch age-related limitations, making it imperative to proactively forestall injuries among this demographic.”

The study includes caller information astir roadworthy deaths among older group crossed nan European Union and different countries, highlighting disparities among countries and measures aimed astatine reducing risks for older roadworthy users, including strategies that reside modifying behavior, improving infrastructure, and enhancing conveyance safety.

The study besides explores issues for illustration older big fittingness to thrust and training, reducing velocity limits, implementing little velocity zones and postulation calming measures, establishing unafraid pedestrian crossings, and maintaining high-quality footpaths.

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