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NEWS RELEASE CONTACT:
Michele Harris, director, AAA Traffic Safety Culture, |
AAA URGES SENIOR DRIVER SAFETY AS THE FIRST
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is Dec. 5-9 and AAA emphasizes the importance of planning to help keep senior drivers safe and mobile
TAMPA, Fla., (Dec. 5, 2011) – The first wave of America’s baby boomers turned 65 this year and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, this segment of the population will increase by 75 percent over the next two decades. Research has shown that people now live an average of 7-10 years beyond their safe driving ability. To aid aging drivers and their families, AAA promotes Older Driver Safety Awareness Week to help get the safety conversation started.
“In less than 10 years, one in four licensed drivers will be age 65 and older,” said Michele Harris, director, AAA Traffic Safety Culture, The Auto Club Group. “This means that now is the time for seniors to equip themselves with the tools necessary to stay driving as long as safely possible if they choose to do so and for families to have open, honest communication with their aging parent about signs/symptoms that indicate when driving may no longer be an option.
“Most families don’t know where to turn for help so by partnering with the American Occupational Therapists Association (AOTA) during Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, AAA hopes to raise visibility of resources and tools that will help families address real and perceived challenges associated with driving and aging.”
AAA’s senior driver safety and mobility website SeniorDriving.AAA.com provides expert advice and research-based tools for senior drivers and their families. Tools on the site are designed to aid in prompting conversations, assessing abilities and improving the comfort and safety of older drivers.
Conversations about safe driving can evoke strong emotional reactions as concerns about personal independence and managing other day-to-day activities may come into question. AAA encourages seniors and their families to approach these sensitive conversations as opportunities for constructive communication and problem solving.
To help manage the effects of aging on driving ability, AAA, through it Traffic Safety Foundation, recommends the following resources for older drivers:
- AAA Roadwise Review is a computer-based self-screening tool designed to assess a driver’s functional abilities important to safe driving.
- CarFit and AAA’s Smart Features for Mature Drivers helps to enhance seniors’ comfort and safety while driving.
- Senior Defensive Driving courses in the classroom and online provide driver training to help address the changes caused by aging and teach what actions can be taken to be a safer driver.
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America. ACG and its affiliates provide membership, travel, insurance and financial services offerings to approximately 8.5 million members across 11 states and two U.S. territories including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; most of Illinois, Minnesota and Tennessee; and a portion of Indiana. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with nearly 53 million members in the United States and Canada and whose mission includes protecting and advancing freedom of mobility and improving traffic safety.
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