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Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

Road Design Standards for Older Drivers. Randy Hulsey Director Douglas County Department of Transportation. Publication No. FHWA-RD-01-103. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers. Increase in Older Drivers

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Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

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  1. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Randy Hulsey Director Douglas County Department of Transportation Publication No. FHWA-RD-01-103

  2. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers • Increase in Older Drivers • DESIGNING for Older Drives makes the system more user friendly and enhances the driving experience for all drivers!! • One in eight people today is age 65 or older. By 2030, the number is expected to increase to one in five. • Per Miles Driven, Seniors have higher crash rates than any other age group, except teenagers.

  3. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Increase in Older Drivers

  4. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Attributes Required for the Driving Task • Visual • Mental • Physical

  5. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Example of an Eye Chart L O B T C L H A K E

  6. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Visual Capabilities • Reductions in Acuity • Ability to read information on road signs • Ability to see fine detail and high contrast features

  7. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Visual Capabilities Reductions in Contrast Sensitivity: • Ability to detect low contrast features that don’t have well defined edges. • Examples are: • worn lane lines • edge of roadway • curbs • other road users at dusk

  8. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers View with Good Acuity & Normal Contrast Sensitivity View with Poor Contrast Sensitivity Source: VISTECH

  9. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Visual Capabilities Increased Sensitivity to Glare • reduction in contrast for detecting objects in the presence of oncoming headlights Decreased Dark Adaptation • ability to detect targets when moving in and out of lighted areas

  10. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Visual Capabilities People require 2 times the amount of light for each 10-13 years after the age of 25 to: • Visually detect the same information View at Age 70 View at Age 20 View at Age 60

  11. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Mental Capabilities Selective Attention • ability to filter information and continuously focus on the most critical information Decreased Motion Sensitivity • ability to judge gaps for turning, crossing, and merge maneuvers

  12. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Mental Capabilities Divided Attention • ability to process information from multiple sources simultaneously Perception-Reaction Time (PRT) • time to make a decision and then physically respond with a controlled vehicle movement.

  13. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Mental Capabilities Working Memory • ability to store, manipulate, and retrieve information for later use

  14. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Physical Capabilities Reduced Upper Limb (arm, shoulder) Strength, Flexibility & Range of Motion 2. Reduced Lower Limb (leg, knee, ankle, foot) Strength, Flexibility & Range of Motion 3. Reduced Head/Neck and Upper Torso Flexibility & Range of Motion

  15. Older Drivers Tend to Have Fewer Crashes Crashes per 1000 drivers (Source NCSA, 2000)

  16. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Increase in Highway Safety Risk for Older Drivers

  17. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers • Specific Attributes of the Problem • Studies show that compared with other age groups, older drivers are more likely to be involved in crashes at intersections, especially when attempting a left-turn maneuver. Drivers 85 and older are more than 10 times as likely as 40-49 year olds to be in fatal multiple-vehicle crashes at intersections. • About 55% of people age 85 and older who died in collisions died in angle collisions.

  18. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Douglas County DOT’s - Efforts to Accommodate Improving the Installation of Advance Warning Signage

  19. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Douglas County DOT’s - Efforts to Accommodate Improving Pavement Markings and Installation of Raised Pavement Markers.

  20. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Douglas County DOT’s - Efforts to Accommodate Increase Night Time Visibility Through The Use Of High Intensity Reflective Sign Material, Installation Of RPM’s, Illuminated Street Name Signs, and LED Signal Heads.

  21. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Douglas County WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?????

  22. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Implications To Douglas County Planning & Policy • Roadway Transportation • Develop a maintenance plan for replacement and repair of signage, striping and signals • Plan, design, and require developers to intersect streets at 90° to prevent skews • Plan, design, and require developers to provide adequate sight distance at intersections • Increase lane and shoulder widths which requires the purchase of additional right of way • Plan and fund the installation of street lights • Retrofit street name signs • Increase road contrast sensitivity by encouraging the usage of thermoplastic striping material instead of paint • Develop a sidewalk program that will install ADA facilities • Remove unnecessary signs, thus reducing sign clutter

  23. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Implications To Douglas County Planning & Policy • Alternative Transportation • Transportation options need to be readily available with incentives for the aging population for utilization and support of this group • Provide timely, safe and secure service that supports the needs of this population • Incorporate design standards to support the aging population in all roadway projects • Encourage opportunities to increase service and modes through transit strategies • Offer incentives for car and vanpooling or shuttle systems to major activity centers • Identify connectivity and accessibility needs

  24. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Implications To Douglas County Planning & Policy • Landuse • Promote high-density residential • Promote retail and medical services in close proximity to housing • Promote commercial districts to encourage the use of transit • Pedestrian • Modify walking speed calculations for pedestrian timings • Implement retrofit facility installation program • Create a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities to link residential areas, activity centers, the river, and park and school systems • Develop a program for intersection improvements to aid pedestrian mobility

  25. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Thank You Special Thanks to the following for the information and props provided for this presentation. If you want additional information regarding recommended practices for Older Driver Design or classes, contact: Henrietta Rajadurai Kuoh, MPHInjury Prevention SectionGeorgia Division of Public Health2 Peachtree StreetSuite 10- 403 Atlanta, GA 30303(404) 657-2894hrkuoh@dhr.state.ga.us Mark Doctor Safety Engineer FHWA Resource Center, Safety & Design TST Atlanta, GA (404) 562-3732 mark.doctor@fhwa.dot.gov

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