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Aging News & Information
Aging Committee Leaders Release Older Driver Report
Calling for States to Share Information
Older drivers more likely than other age groups to
suffer injuries or die in car crashes
 April
19, 2007 Many states are taking actions aimed at making roadways
easier for older drivers to navigate but there has been limited sharing
of information on what is working or not. A new recommendation written
at the request of both party leaders on the U.S. Senate Special
Committee on Aging calls for federal agencies to implement a mechanism
for states to share this information.
Ranking Member Gordon H. Smith (OR) and Chairman
Herb Kohl (WI) of the aging committee released the report compiled by
the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on older driver safety.
Thus report, written at their request, recommends
that the Secretary of Transportation direct the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) to implement this information sharing mechanism.
At present, states are issued recommendations by
the federal government on making roadways easier for older drivers to
navigate, such as producing road signs with larger print, placing road
signs far enough in advance of turns and exits, and designing less
complicated intersections. However, since there has been little
research on which of these strategies work best, officials agree that
states could benefit most immediately from an exchange of information on
successful older driver initiatives.
 "A
majority of elderly citizens rely on their vehicles as their primary
form of transportation to reach their families and communities as well
as access essential services, said Senator Smith. As our population
ages, it is important that we work on policies that will allow drivers
the freedom to stay safely on the road longer. This report is an
important first step in that direction.
The report illustrates that the tools to reduce
accidents involving older drivers exist, but that states are hesitant to
implement practices which have not been proven successful, said Senator
Kohl.
The federal government clearly has a role to fill
in this area, and the Department of Transportation can start by
encouraging knowledge sharing between the states. The sharing of best
practices will make the roadways safer for everyone, especially
seniors.
 Older
drivers are more likely than any other age groupincluding new drivers
aged 16 to 24to suffer injuries or die in car crashes. Concerns about
older driver safety will only heighten as Americas aging population
grows. GAO estimates that by 2030 the number of licensed drivers ages
65 and older will nearly double to a total of 57 million. According to
GAO, only 24 states reported that they utilize some or all of FHWAs
recommended practices in their state design guides for transportation
projects.
To conduct its study, GAO surveyed the
transportation departments of all 50 states and the District of
Columbia. Additionally, officials were interviewed and documents were
supplied by the NHTSA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Institute on Aging (NIA) and Administration on Aging (AOA), as
well as a nongovernmental organization that represents state driver
licensing agencies, the American Association of Motor Vehicle
Administrators (AAMVA).
The report can be found online at
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-413
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