Older Driver Safety Information
*The following information is from the National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST)
Are you 60 year of age or older and a driver?
Are you comfortable in all traffic situations as your were 10 or 20 years ago?
How comfortable in traffic do you expect to be in the next 10 or 20 years?
If you are completely comfortable in all driving situations, that is good news. However, you might know older drivers who are too hesitant, slow or just unable to continue driving. It can happen and you want to be sure this does not happen to you.
It is critically important that older drivers are as safe as they can possibly be because they will be driving on the nation's roads in increasing numbers. As the number of older adults in the United States increases dramatically in the coming decades, so too will the number of older drivers on the roads. In fact, the 29 million older drivers now will almost double, reaching 57 million in about 20 years.
Certain changes related to the aging process may make the highly complex skill of driving a car increasingly difficult. These include changes in vision, hearing, flexibility and strength. However, these changes are not consistent from one individual to another, and they do hot happen at the same age in each person.
What Can You Do? There are steps you can take to assure your ongoing safety as a driver. These include:
- Doing a self-assessment of your driving
- Taking a driver-refresher course
- Making adjustments in your automobile
- Changing your driving habits
- Getting an objective driving evaluation
- Consulting with a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist
Some great resources for older driver safety:
- Transportation options: Eldercare Locator, to link to local AAA and Title VI programs, 1-800-677-1116
- Refresher: www.aarp.org/home-garden/transportation/driver_safety
- You and your car: www.car-fit.org
- New car: www.AAA.com
- Medical conditions: www.nhtsa.dot.gov
- Choices for Mobility Independence - Transportation Options for Older Adults: available from the National Center on Senior Transportation, NCST, www.seniortransportation.net
-
How to Prepare for Driving with a Disability - https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/auto/resources/driving-with-a-neurological-disability/
- New York State DMV Driver Re-evaluation
- Are you Concerned About An Older Driver ? Handbook
- New York State DMV Older Driver Resources
Questions about the Oswego County Office for the Aging?
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