Senior Mobility: Transportation in an Aging Society

1. Senior Mobility: Transportation in an Aging Society 2008 Midwest Transportation Planning Conference June 5, 2008 Nicki Stajcar Iowa Department of Elder Affairs

2. What does maintaining the ability and privilege to drive mean to older Iowans?

3. INDEPENDENCE !!

4. INDEPENDENCE!! • For most people, driving represents freedom, control and independence. • Driving enables most people to get to the places they want or need to go. • For many people, driving is important economically – some drive as part of their job or to get to and from work. • Driving is a complex skill. Our ability to drive safely can be affected by changes in our physical, emotional and mental condition.

5. Older Person Mobility Target Team • Born from the 2006 Safety Stakeholder Summit – Iowa Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan (CHSP) • Safe mobility of older drivers was 5th priority of stakeholders • Team of interested parties met and developed a Strategy Plan that was submitted and reviewed by the Safety Management Team. • The SMT reviewed all team’s plans and developed the final CHSP.

6. Goals of the OPMTAT Reduce the number of older person fatal and severe crashes through education, engineering and legislation Establish a single point of contact for older persons to navigate existing resources for changing mobility needs Increase the number of older drivers who participate in a driver safety course by 100%

7. Objective 1 • Increase educational opportunities for • Older drivers • Their caregivers • Insurance professionals • Medical professionals • Other interested persons/organizations • Accomplished through print materials and state and local older driver conferences

8. Objective 2 • Single Point of Contact for Older Iowans Safe Mobility • Coordinate a clearinghouse for all outreach efforts regarding transportation for older Iowans • Serve as a resource for all disciplines who need/want information about older drivers and transportation needs of older adults

9. Obejctive 3 • Support and implement engineering (design and safety) initiatives to create a more visible and “user friendly” roadway environment for older persons

10. Objective 4 Encourage legislation to mandate automobile insurance rate discounts for older drivers who have successfully completed an older driver safety training course.

11. Strategies • Develop/update assessment and decision-making tools for older drivers, their families/caregivers, medical community and human services agencies . . . determine: • Topics • Distribution • Speakers bureau

12. Strategies – cont. • Sponsor multi-disciplinary conferences for seniors, professionals and groups with related interests and expertise across the state for the purpose of providing education and assistance to older drivers and those persons and agencies that support them.

13. Strategies – cont. • Identify and include stakeholders to support the proposed Single Point of Contact for Older Iowan Safe Mobility: • Governors Traffic Safety Bureau • Iowa DOT (various offices) • Iowa Department of Elder Affairs • Iowa Department of Public Health • State and Local Partners

14. Performance Measures • Successful dissemination of printed materials • Establishment of the Single Point of Contact for Older Iowan Safe Mobility • Identify, measure, and promote the number of safe mobility presentations to stakeholder groups and consumers • Track the number of downloads of educational materials from the Iowa DOT (or Older Iowan Safe Mobility sponsor agency) web site

15. Performance Measures • Evaluation of the successes of the conferences through feedback from attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, etc. • Increased number of lane miles with enhanced design features • Passage of legislation to mandate auto insurance rate discounts for older drivers who have successfully completed an older driver safety course

16. Performance Measures – cont. • A 100% increase in the number of people taking advantage of driver safety training courses • A 5% decrease in the number of broadside severe and fatal crashes • A 5% decrease in the number of severe and fatal crashes involving unbelted persons

17. Next Steps • OPMTAT has voted to move forward with the development of a web-based information tool for consumers and professionals • Collaborate on educational opportunities for older drivers – this will include printed materials, promotion of older driver courses and conferences/forums for older drivers and professionals • OPMTAT continues to meet at least bi-monthly and will continue to work towards meeting it’s goals and objectives, strategies and performance measures and project timelines.

18. This is Not What We Consider to Be Safe Mobility for Older Iowans!!

19. Alvin Straight – as portrayed by Richard Farnsworth The Straight Story

20. In Summary-- • Older people don’t give up driving-though a lot would like to – because they don’t have reasonable alternatives. • Boomers are used to choices – without choices, they’ll continue to use the option they are comfortable with ……………… • It’s our responsibility to make things as safe as possible for the older drivers. • When you make roadways safe for older adults, you make roadways safe for EVERYONE!!