Once again, the first week of December will be promoted across the country as “Older Driver Safety Awareness Week.” Coordinated by government agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); health organizations including the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); and safety advocates at AAA and AARP, next week (December 1–7, 2019) will be filled with campaign events designed to educate on the unique safety challenges and concerns facing older drivers.
The goal of Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is to acknowledge that as drivers get older, they will need to adapt their driving style and circumstances in order to keep their driving freedom and the ability “to travel as they see fit.”
Growing Number of Drivers 65+ Years Old: Rising Risk of Accidents
Here in Indiana and Illinois, support and awareness of the older driver is important because of the growing number of older drivers (65+ years) on our roadways. The CDC reports a 56% jump in the number of licensed older drivers between the years 1999 and 2016. As the Boomer generation continues to age, this percentage is likely to climb even higher. With the growing number of older drivers on our roads, there will be a corresponding increase in the risk of serious or fatal motor vehicle accidents involving drivers at or over the age of 65.
According to the CDC, approximately 20 older adults are killed and another 794 older adults are injured in motor vehicle accidents each day in this country.
For more on the risks of Older Drivers and serious or fatal car accidents, read our discussion in Older Drivers: Fatal Accidents and Senior Drivers in Indiana and Illinois.
Safety Concerns for Older Drivers
Why the special focus on older drivers next week? Researchers point to “age-related declines” in an older driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle that must be addressed as safety concerns. These include:
- Vision loss and a lessening ability to see the road as well as the dashboard features;
- Failing cognitive functioning in the ability to reason and problem solve;
- Failing memory and recollection; and
- Physical challenges (including less mobility of function for legs, arms, back, hips, etc.).
During next week’s campaign, the goal will be to educate older drivers and their loved ones on the special challenges that can face a senior driver as well as ways these challenges can be met, so older drivers can stay safe on the road.
Prescription Drugs and Older Drivers
Of particular importance is the need for older drivers to be aware of how their medications can impact their driving abilities. Medicines by themselves, or drug interactions with other drugs, foods, or supplements, can work to impair the older driver.
From the CDC comes the following list of medicines known to contribute to car crashes:
Opioid or narcotic pain medicines
- Oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Roxicodone)
- Hydrocodone (e.g., Lortab, Vicodin)
Anti-depression or mood medicines
- Fluoxetine (e.g., Prozac)
- Amitriptyline (e.g., Elavil)
Anti-anxiety medicines
- Diazepam (e.g., Valium)
- Alprazolam (e.g., Xanax)
Prescription and OTC sleep aids
- Zolpidem (e.g., Ambien)
- Diphenhydramine (e.g., Benadryl)
High blood pressure/ heart medicines
- Metoprolol (e.g., Toprol, Lopressor)
- Amlodipine (e.g., Norvasc)
- Furosemide (e.g., Lasix)
Muscle relaxing medicines
- Carisoprodol (e.g., Soma)
- Cyclobenzaprine (e.g., Flexeril)
Anti-psychosis or mood stabilizing medicines
- Risperidone (e.g., Risperdal)
- Quetiapine (e.g., Seroquel)
Safety Steps for the Older Driver
The message of next week’s campaign is that the older driver will need to face the reality of changing physical and mental capabilities as they age, so they can develop a plan for minimizing mobility changes on their ability to operate a motor vehicle. This means keeping physically and mentally sharp by doing things like:
- Exercising for greater flexibility (think stretching, yoga, etc.)
- Exercising to increase strength and stamina (think walking, weights, etc.)
- Annual eye exams
- Annual hearing exams
- Wearing glasses or hearing aids as required
- Driving during daylight (night driving is a real problem for some older drivers)
- Driving in good weather
- Planning driving routes in advance
- Avoiding distractions while driving
- Wearing a safety belt at all times.
Note: For further information and tips, the CDC has a free online “planning tool” called the “MyMobility Plan” to help older adults take control of (and keep) their driving independence.
Car Accessories and Technologies
For many drivers over the age of 65 years, physically getting in and out of their car or SUV can be challenging. AAA offers a variety of “mobility-friendly car accessories” for elder drivers to consider. These include things like assist straps and swivel cushions.
AAA also suggests a variety of car technologies or added features that can be helpful for the older driver, such as: (1) keyless entry; (2) electric seats; (3) heated seats; (4) navigation assistance; and (5) electronic parking assistance.
Unsafe Older Driver: Warning Signs
For loved ones and caretakers of the older driver, it is vital to monitor the older driver’s driving in order to make sure they are not compromising their own safety on the roads or putting others at risk of a serious or fatal car crash. Safety advocates suggest the following as warning signs of unsafe driving in an older driver:
- Dents on the older driver’s vehicle
- Minor hits or scrapes on garage doors, curbs, mailboxes, etc.
- Any traffic citations issued by police officers
- Sudden braking for no reason
- Driving fast without reason
- Drifting between lanes of traffic
- Sudden lane changes
- Failure to use turn signals
- Not hearing emergency vehicle sirens
- Not hearing horns honking
- Forgetting known travel patterns (e.g., usual way to the grocery store, etc.)
- Getting flustered or angry while driving.
Older Driver Safety Week and Fatal Accidents Involving the Older Driver
Next week, each day of the Older Driver Safety Week campaign will address a different aspect of older driver safety. Monday, for instance, will deal with “Anticipated Changes That Can Affect Driving,” while Thursday will focus upon “Interventions That Can Empower Drivers and Families.”
Sadly, the statistics warn there will be an increasing number of severe or fatal accidents involving an older driver (age 65+ years) in the future. Taking steps to keep older drivers safe on the roads with the freedom of movement that driving provides is important.
However, it is also important during the upcoming week for those with a duty of care to older drivers (caretakers, physicians, therapists, etc.) to understand that they may have a responsibility to prevent an older driver from taking the wheel. In a fatal motor vehicle accident, things like drug prescriptions may be found as a contributing factor to a tragedy where not only the older driver but others (passengers, other drivers) perish in a preventable accident.
We support Older Driver Safety Week and the daily campaigns covering December 1 – 7, 2019, to educate the public. Please be careful out there!
