Designing Roadways with Older Adults in Mind

Purpose Analyses compared older drivers from urban, suburban, and rural areas on perceived importance of continuing to drive and potential impact that driving cessation would have on what they want and need to do. Methods The AAA LongROAD Study is a prospective study of driving behaviors, patterns, and outcomes of older adults. A cohort of 2,990 women and men 65‐79 years of age was recruited during 2015‐2017 from health systems or primary care practices near 5 study sites in different parts of the United States.
 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Pub. L. 117-58, also known as the "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law" (BIL)), was signed into law on November 15, 2021. Among other things, the BIL established a new Special Rule under the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) under section 148 of title 23 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) for vulnerable road user (VRU) safety and continued the two existing special rules for High-Risk Rural Roads (HRRR) and Older Drivers and Pedestrians without change.

For older adults living in rural communities, the challenge of aging in place is often magnified. What specific programs and policies have proven successful and could be replicated?

In this guideline, there are recommendations regarding specific partner groups like old road users to implement a comprehensive highway safety program. 

The Georgia Department of Public Health's 55+ Driver Safety Program hosted a series of presentations focused on aging road users. Here is the presentation recording of "Guidelines for Older Driver Safety for State & Local Roadways"

More than $18 million in grants is being awarded to support state and local transportation safety initiatives, the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced.

The Doubling Down on What Works is a working group of the Road to Zero Coalition has created a clearinghouse for resources. 

This report of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program/Transportation Research Board provides a comprehensive guide to reducing crashes involving older drivers, and details effective engineering solutions and relative costs.