The holiday season is here and that includes Older Driver Safety Awareness Week!
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week aims to promote older drivers’ safety in all communities. Roadway safety is important for all, especially one of the most vulnerable populations of road users -- older drivers.
From December 6-10, we will be highlighting a different aspect of older driver safety. Topics will range from how to anticipate changes that can affect driving, to how to stay engaged in your community with safe mobility options.
In 2019, 54.1 million people, 16% of the United States population, were over age 65. In the same year, there were 7,214 people 65 and older killed in traffic crashes in the United States accounting for 20 percent of all traffic fatalities. The risk of crashes for older drivers is in part related to physical, visual, and/or cognitive changes associated with aging, including medical conditions and the medications used to treat them. It is important to note, simply getting older doesn’t mean drivers should hang up their keys.
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is the perfect opportunity to promote older driver safety and older adults’ mobility and transportation needs. The Clearinghouse for Older Road User Safety (ChORUS) provides professionals and individuals resources to encourage and support older driver traffic safety.
Ensuring older driver safety includes understanding age-related changes that may affect driving. Individuals and safety advocates can support older adults in their community by sharing resources on transportation planning or volunteering with an organization that provides transportation services.
We encourage you to learn more by following ChORUS on Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin