Aging drivers at risk on road pressconnects.com | 03/21/05 | News Story
pressconnects.com 03/21/05 News Story: "Aging drivers at risk on road"
pressconnects.com 03/21/05 News Story: "Aging drivers at risk on roadFuture may see crash 'epidemic'BY JEFF PLUNGIS AND NICK BUNKLEYGannett News ServiceDorothy Walker totaled her treasured Pontiac Grand Prix when she turned left into the path of an oncoming car at an intersection in Genoa Township, Mich. Head injuries would kill her two days later.But when Jackie Stoner arrived at the scene to take her 87-year-old mother to the hospital, Walker had one thing on her mind. 'As she was getting into my car, she said to me, 'They're going to take my license away,' ' Stoner said.Many older drivers fear losing their license, and with it their mobility and independence. But as America's elderly population booms, a highway safety crisis is emerging.Tens of thousands of drivers remain behind the wheel despite diminishing eyesight and sluggish reflexes, endangering themselves and others.In 2003, more than 5,300 Americans over 70 died in highway crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When measured by miles driven, elderly drivers are involved in more fatal crashes than any group except teenagers.With the number of Americans older than 65 expected to double to 72 million by 2030, NHTSA estimates senior fatalities also will soar.'I don't think we as a country have come to grips with this,' said Peter Kissinger, president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington. 'Unless we are able to drive down the risks associated with driving, we will have an epidemic of crashes involving older drivers.'The typical American's driving skills begin to erode after age 65. The inevitable effects of age on eyesight, reaction time and flexibility of the head and neck all can affect safety on the road.Often, a relative is the first to notice an older person's deteriorating driving skills, said Kathleen Bunnell, director of the Broome County Office for Aging.When older drivers notice the effects of aging, they often adjust their driving routines, Bunnell also said."Seniors sometimes choose to do selective driving," she said. "They don't drive at night or say, 'I'm not going out in the snow.' People do understand that their reflexes might not be what they used to be."Bunnell said the decision to giving up driving is usually an emotional time."Giving up driving is giving up independence," she said. "It's very hard to give up driving. There's no doubt about it."But not being able to drive doesn't mean not getting around town. Broome agencies and organizations have programs to help seniors get from here to there, including BC Dial-a-Ride for Seniors and transportation from the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury-related death for people age 65-74 and second only to falls for those 75-84, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Even so, safety issues linked to elderly drivers only recently have come to the fore. A 2003 accident in Santa Monica, Calif., where an 85-year-old confused his accelerator and brake pedal and plowed into a farmers' market, killing 10 and injuring 63, triggered a flurry of studies that highlighted the growing danger.The risks presented by older drivers were underscored in a comprehensive study released last year by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the Texas Transportation Institute that found the risk of a fatal crash accelerates rapidly after age 65."The baby boomers are going to retire, and the number of older drivers is going to swell," said Lindsay Griffin, author of the study. "That has implications for society."Finding solutions that are effective and fair can be challenging. Several factors stand in the way of comprehensive reforms:* The political might of seniors means that state legislatures, which write the laws that govern driving and highway safety, are often reluctant to enact measures that would restrict seniors' driving.* Research suggests some of the measures that have been adopted, such as requiring regular vision screening, aren't resulting in fewer fatalities.* With few alternative transportation options available in many areas, seniors have a high incentive to keep driving even if there are problems.But safety experts say some steps can be taken immediately to help prepare for the onslaught of older drivers: requiring in-person license renewal, developing better tools to measure seniors' physical abilities that relate to driving and beefing up the power of state medical advisory boards to revoke licenses when necessary.The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a leading auto safety think tank in Arlington, Va., has done an extensive study of federal crash data and insurance claims for older drivers. The institute found that while death rates do go up for older drivers, they are mainly a danger to themselves and their passengers -- not other cars on the road."Some people are worried about the risk older drivers constitute to the general population," said NHTSA administrator Jeffrey Runge, the auto industry's chief regulator. "That's very much overblown."Seniors typically crash in low-speed accidents or single-vehicle wrecks. This is in contrast to the other high-risk group on the road -- teenagers -- who tend to be involved in a high percentage of high-speed crashes and those involving alcohol. Researchers believe the high fatality rate among older drivers is because of their fragile older bodies.For now, the biggest push is to develop tools that will enable drivers and families to monitor the physical skills needed for effective driving. But while experts are urging seniors to monitor their driving skills, many are not doing so and are not planning for the day when they can no longer drive.A survey of older drivers in Michigan by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that even seniors who believed they probably would not be driving in five years were not researching other ways to get around. And those who already had stopped driving had not made any arrangements for alternative transportation.Study respondents were generally unaware of public transportation options and had little experience with mass transit. A private automobile remained their preferred transportation mode, even among people who had stopped driving."There are not many alternatives," said Lidia Kostyniuk, one of the study's authors. "Automotive transportation is very important. Being able to drive yourself is not only transportation. It is independence and a feeling of self-worth."Staff Writer WILLIAM MOYER contributed to this report. "
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