Improving the Safety of Older Road Users (2005)

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Over the next two decades, the United States will witness tremendous growth in its older road user population. As the “baby boom” generation reaches retirement age, the number of older drivers and pedestrians will swell. Today, one in eight U.S. residents is age 65 or older; by 2030, the number will be one in five. Some states—Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia—will reach this number much sooner. Older road users were elevated to the forefront of transportation safety agendas in 1988 with the publication of TRB Special Report 218: Transportation in an Aging Society. In response to this report, both FHWA and NHTSA launched significant new older road user research programs that laid important groundwork for future programmatic activities. In 1995, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation directed the department to begin work on a pro- active plan to accommodate the growing number of older road users. The resulting report, Improving Transportation for a Maturing Society, was the first to set forth the challenge of “Safe Mobility, for Life.” The objective of this synthesis report is to document the range of strategies and related programs underway at national, state, and local levels to improve the safety and mobility of older road users. Topic areas addressed include planning for the older road user, roadway engineering and traffic operations, driver licensing, public information and education, and enforcement and adjudication. Omitted from the scope of this report were programs that address alternative transportation for older adults. Because activities in these important areas are not limited to a single agency, the synthe- sis incorporates information from a variety of national and state agencies, organizations, and professional associations. Information was also gathered from a review of the literature, Internet searches, personal communications, and from four separate surveys. The surveys were distributed either by mail or electronically through the Internet. In addition to state departments of transportation (DOTs), surveys were sent to state driver license agencies, state highway safety offices, and state units on aging. Results from these four surveys have been incorporated into the report to provide a “snapshot” of older road user programs and activi- ties across the nation. With regard to planning for an aging road user population, the report identified six states with comprehensive plans in place for improving older road user safety and mobility: Cali- fornia, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and Oregon. Planning activities have also occurred in New York State; Maricopa County, Arizona; and in the Delaware Valley region of Penn- sylvania and New Jersey. Ten of the 24 states responding to the state DOT survey indicated that older driver issues are addressed in their strategic highway safety plans and 8 stated that they had formed statewide coalitions to address older driver safety and mobility needs from a broader perspective. Only a few of the states, however, noted involvement of their state health department, department on aging, AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons), or other agencies and organizations in the planning process. Such collabo- rations are considered a critical component to successful planning for older road user safety and mobility. SUMMARY IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF OLDER ROAD USERS

Roadways can play an important role in enhancing safety, not only for older road users but for users of all ages. All of the states responding to the engineering portion of the DOT survey reported that they were familiar with FHWA’s Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians, and all but a few had participated in one or more of the FHWA- sponsored Older Driver Highway Design Workshops. However, state responses varied con- siderably in the extent to which they had implemented various roadway improvements iden- tified as beneficial for older road users. With regard to driver licensing, a growing number of states have imposed some additional requirements for older adults wanting to renew their driver licenses, including more frequent renewals, vision screening, and/or in-person renewals. Special programs have also been ini- tiated to help identify “at-risk” drivers of any age. In addition, there were examples of more proactive efforts by driver license agencies to reach out to older adults and educate them to make responsible decisions about their driving. This has frequently entailed forming part- nerships with other agencies and organizations in the public and private sectors. Driver license programs in California, Florida, Maryland, and Oregon are highlighted in that section of the report. A fourth area addressed in the report is education and training, as directed toward the older road user, but also to family members and friends, “intermediaries” (e.g., physicians, driver licensing personnel, and social service providers), and the general public. A wide variety of materials and programs has been developed by both government agencies and nongovern- mental organizations, and very often by partnerships between the two. The same broad group of partners and stakeholders has been actively engaged in implementing the various initia- tives. Clearly, older driver safety and mobility is an issue that generates broad-based interest and support. The final topic area examined is enforcement, and more specifically, law enforcement and judicial involvement in older driver safety initiatives. Two frequently identified avenues of involvement were participation on state and local advisory committees and identification and reporting of at-risk drivers to licensing authorities. The project also uncovered other areas of activity, ranging from teaching driver safety courses to acquiring help for Alzheimer’s patients to serving as spokespersons for statewide advertising campaigns. Six “good practice” states were identified based on the comprehensiveness, innovation, and long-term commitment of their programs: California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michi- gan, and Oregon. A concluding chapter identifies common themes emerging from the iden- tified programs and initiatives and makes suggestions for future research and programmatic efforts to improve older road user safety and mobility. 2