Older Drivers and Senior Mobility National Press Foundation Driving and Behavior June 13, 2005

1. Older Drivers and Senior MobilityNational Press FoundationDriving and BehaviorJune 13, 2005 T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, MPH National Director of Traffic Safety Policy AAA

2. About AAA • Not-for-profit federation of 70 independent clubs in US and Canada • Founded in 1902 to advocate for better and safer roads • Service is integral to organization (and a requirement for AAA clubs) • 48 Million Members (25% U.S. households)

3. A healthier aging population…

4. The older population is growing.

5. Even though overall crash rates for older drivers are relatively low…

6. Older people are more likely to die in crashes.

7. Older Driver Crash in Santa Monica

8. Driving = Independence Older drivers rely on their vehicles for: • Social Activities • Daily Responsibilities • Vacations • Medical Appointments

9. States with Medical Review Boards (D.C.) 35 states with Medical Review Boards

10. Special Provisions for Older Drivers (D.C.) 24 states and D.C

11. Two Important Aspects: The Public Health Perspective • SAFETY = Physical Well-Being, Preventing deaths and injuries • MOBILITY = Ability to get from one place to another Goal: To help seniors stay mobile for as long as safely possible

12. 3 Elements of Traffic Safety Driver (training, screening, supplemental transportation) Road (senior-friendly road design) Vehicle (better crash protection, seat belt design, “fit” of vehicle)

13. The ROADSenior-Friendly Road Design • Safety-oriented road design has the potential to greatly reduce death and injury to our aging population • intersection improvements; better signage, lighting, and road markings; and protected left-turn lanes • Improvements will ultimately protect people of all ages

14. Reader’s Digest—July 2003Focus on Senior-friendly Road Design

15. Michigan Road Improvement Demonstration Project – Model for Intersection Improvements • Coordinated effort of public and private organizations • Determined high risk intersections • Identified needed solutions • Evaluation yields promising results – reduced injuries by 46% and crashes by 26% • Low-cost improvements – pavement markings; signal timing; left-hand turn lanes

16. The Left Turn! Crashes often occur at intersections in which the older person is attempting to make a left-hand turn. D.F.Preusser et al: Fatal Crash Risk for Older Drivers at Intersections: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Aug.1997

19. The VEHICLE“Senior-friendly” vehicles • Better crash protection • Effects of emerging in-vehicle technologies on older drivers – positive (crash avoidance technology) and negative (distraction) • Ensuring vehicles “fit” aging bodies

21. The DRIVER

22. The crash rate for older drivers is related to physical and mental changes associated with aging Impaired vision Hearing Loss Impaired joint mobility Neurologic impairment Crash Rate and Aging Barbara J. Messinger-Rapport, How to assess and counsel the older driver: Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. March 2002. Slide courtesy of Gisele Wolf-Klein, MD, FACP.

23. Effects of Eye Diseases on Vision Normal Diabetic Retinopathy Cataract Macular Degeneration New England College of Optometry: Implication of online renewal without vision screening(05/03)

24. Driving and Vision Normal GlaucomaRetinitis Pigmentosa New England College of Optometry: Implication of online renewal without vision screening: May,2003

25. Useful Field of View ®

26. Cognitive Skills Critical for Driving • Memory • Visual perception, visual processing, and visuospatial skills • Selective and divided attention • Executive skills

27. Trail-Making

28. Screening Measures- Validity & Reliability • Visual Acuity – high contrast • Visual Acuity – low contrast • Useful Field of View ® • Working Memory • Visual Search • Visualization of Missing Information • Lower Limb Strength and Mobility • Head-Neck Flexibility Based on research on nearly 2000 drivers 55-96 years, seniors with a decline in any of the 8 areas were 2-5 times more at-risk of being in an at-fault crash (Staplin et al, JSR 2003)

29. Roadwise Review:A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer • State-of-the-Art Screening Tool developed by AAA • CD-ROM • Screens 8 factors important for driving • Developed with TransAnalytics

30. INTRODUCTION

31. LOW CONTRAST VISUAL ACUITY

32. RESULTS PAGE

33. RESULTS

34. DOCUMENTATION SPONSOR PARTNERS RIDERS DRIVERS REIMBURSEMENT REIMBURSEMENT Supplemental Transportation Program Pilot in Pasadena materials recruitment recruitment Age 65+ Pasadena area Residents the Beverly Foundation Service Agencies Friends of Riders feedback feedback rides Beverly Foundation and AAA Foundation project

35. Supplemental Transportation Programs (STPs) 7 1 6 2 5 4 55 4 2 10 13 5 4 6 5 6 6 6 13 9 1 1 25 2 4 10 9 5 8 1 8 1 8 9 3 2 1 2 1 11 9 2 6 4 indicates location of “STAR” Search winners

37. What’s good for Seniors is good for ALL of us!

38. A Few ResourcesAAA: www.aaapublicaffairs.comAAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: www.seniordrivers.orgArea Agency on Aging: www.aoa.govAAMVA GrandDriver: www.granddriver.infoAARP: www.aarp.org/driveAmerican Society on Aging: www.asaging.org

39. Thank You!For more information:T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, MPHdinhzarr@national.aaa.com202-942-2060www.aaapublicaffairs.com