Improving the Safety of Older Road Users (2005)

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This chapter briefly highlights older driver safety program- ming in six states: California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and Oregon. These six states have been singled out because of their comprehensive approach, innovation, and demonstrated long-term commitment to improving safety and mobility for older road users. All have appeared repeatedly in earlier chapters of this report. CALIFORNIA California was one of the first states to convene a formal task force to address the safety and mobility needs of its growing elderly population and is one of the first to produce a set of comprehensive recommendations for achieving safe mobil- ity. The state has also moved forward with implementing many of the identified action items, drawing support from both the public and private sectors. The California DMV, a long-time innovator in highway safety research and pro- gramming, has worked to develop a tiered approach to driver license screening, and has reached out to older drivers through special driver safety programs and a variety of educational materials. Caltrans, the California DOT, is ahead of most other state DOTs in adopting the recommendations included in the FHWA Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians (Staplin et al. 2001a) and in the 2003 update to the MUTCD. The implemented standards and changes in practice should benefit all road users, but especially older adults. FLORIDA Florida has perhaps the most long-standing roadway improve- ment program specifically focused on the special needs of older road users. The 1991 Florida Elder Road User Program included both short- and long-term improvements, many of which later appeared in the FHWA Handbook. State trans- portation engineers regularly receive training in implement- ing the designated improvements that benefit both older driv- ers and pedestrians. The state also reaped early benefits from its ad hoc elderly driver coalition, with strong leadership from the DHSMV, long before it became an official gover- nor-appointed At-Risk Driver Advisory Council. Early coalition members set the tone for broad-based public/pri- vate collaborations in meeting the needs of older road users. The coalition was also successful in obtaining financial sup- port to develop and evaluate new programs and initiatives, 58 including its Safety Resource Centers that provide “one- stop” access to resources for addressing the full range of transportation safety and mobility issues facing aging adults. More so than any other state, Florida has integrated all the key players and stakeholders into its effort to improve safety and mobility for older road users. IOWA Iowa’s older driver safety and mobility initiatives have been carried out under the extensive partnerships of its Highway Safety Management System. This has provided firm support for a broad-based program encompassing engineering, educa- tion, enforcement, and emergency services. Iowa has also sought broad public input to its planning activities, as well as feedback on initiatives already in place. The open approach has generated positive coverage from the media and increased public awareness of issues facing older road users. Behind the scenes, the Iowa DOT has quietly pursued roadway design and traffic operation improvements of special benefit to its large elderly population. MARYLAND The hallmark of Maryland’s program is helping individuals continue to drive as long as they can do so safely. At a very modest cost, the state’s MAB involves physicians in review- ing individual cases and recommending the least restrictive path for allowing a person with medical or functional limita- tions to continue to provide for his or her own safe mobility. The state’s Model Driver Screening and Evaluation Program, initiated as part of an NHTSA-funded research project, has indeed become a model for the nation. Even though it is sup- ported by a broad-based consortium of stakeholders, the Maryland program is clear evidence of the valuable role state MABs can play in creating a system supportive of lifelong safe mobility. MICHIGAN Michigan was the first state to develop a comprehensive plan to address the safety and mobility needs of older road users. Elderly Mobility and Safety—the Michigan Approach was created in 1999 by the Elderly Mobility and Safety Task Force of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments CHAPTER EIGHT GOOD STATE PRACTICES IN OLDER DRIVER SAFETY PROGRAMMING

59 (SEMCOG). The plan reflects SEMCOG’s broader planning interests and is one of the few to directly address related issues of land use, housing, and alternative transportation. It has since been adopted statewide as “The Michigan Approach.” Michigan has also benefited from efforts beyond SEMCOG. The Traffic Improvement Association of Oakland County offers its Mature Driver Retraining Workshops statewide. The safety program is unique in that it incorporates both class- room and behind-the-wheel evaluations in a 10-h, 21⁄2 day course. In addition, the Area Agency on Aging, serving a six county region in the Detroit area, offers a Senior Driving Awareness Program at local senior centers. In the fall of 2004, Michigan hosted the North American Conference on Elderly Mobility, a forum for showcasing best practices from around the world with respect to alternative transportation, driver education and training, housing and land use, roadway design, and driver screening and assessment. OREGON The Oregon Older Driver Advisory Committee was formed in response to state legislation and charged with developing recommendations for responding to aging driver issues. The committee’s recommendations were reported in 1999. How- ever, it is Oregon’s activities in response to these recommen- dations that most stand out. The state’s Medically At-Risk Driver Program is one of the most comprehensive in the nation and one of the few that requires physician reporting of selected medical conditions or functional impairments. The Shifting Gears in Later Years program addresses the public informa- tion and education needs of the state’s older population. Infor- mation on both programs is available on user-friendly web- sites, along with extensive resources for downloading. SUMMARY Although exemplary programs clearly exist in other states, these six states have been highlighted because of the com- prehensiveness and overall commitment they have brought to addressing the safety and mobility needs of older road users. Ideally, one would identify “good practices” in specific program areas as well—good practices with regard to planning for older road users, implementation of roadway improve- ments, driver licensing, public education, and enforcement programs. However, there are still many unknowns in this rel- atively new area of focus, and very little basis for judging the relative merits of the many programs, policies, and activities identified in this report.