The Dilemma of Older Drivers

When, why and how to take away the keys

Cathy Nikkel / autoMedia.com

When should elderly drivers hand in their car keys? That question jumped from a family to a national quandary after an 87-year-old driver plowed into a street market in Santa Monica, CA, killing 10 and injuring scores more. But the question has no easy answers.

About ten percent of all drivers in the U.S. today are 70 or older, according to The Road Information Program, and their numbers are increasing rapidly, up 36 percent over the last decade. Those numbers are expected to explode as the baby boomers move past retirement age. By 2020 there will be 40 million senior drivers (65+) on the road. Senior mobility is going to be one of the most important issues in traffic safety and health in the coming years, says Dr. Bella Dinhz Karr, director of Traffic Safety Policy with AAA. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration predicts that fatalities among drivers 65 and older will reach 23,000 annually by 2030. In 1991 statistics show 4,261 died in crashes involving drivers 70 and older but by 2001 that number reached 5,113. The fatality rate for motorists 70 and older in 2001 was 25.1 for every 100,000 drivers while the fatality rate for motorists 16 to 20 was 63.4 per 100,000 drivers. Persons aged 65 years and older comprised 13 percent of the total U.S. population, but represented 18 percent of all traffic fatalities.

Independence

Older drivers take plenty of safety precautions, wearing seatbelts, driving in low traffic periods of the day, staying home during bad weather, but they are also experiencing the inevitable deterioration of reflexes that comes with aging. At the same time they are aging in a society that has shunned mass transit for the independence of the automobile and chosen suburban rather than urban or village living. Giving up the car keys for most elderly drivers means giving up independence and quality of life. "That's why I'm certain senior mobility is going to be one of our most important areas in transportation in the coming years," Dr. Dinhz Karr said.

Studies show that vision, hearing, motor-reaction time and some cognitive abilities decline with age and all of these contribute to poor driving, particularly failing vision and slower reaction times. There are refresher courses for seniors that can give their driving skills a boost. AAA already offers a Mature Operators program that is an in-class training program for drivers 55 and 65 and above, to help them retrain driving skills.

Priority

Senior mobility is a priority issue for AAA and over the course of this year, AAA will be targeting low cost road improvements such as intersection improvement, making signs less confusing and more visible, and adding protective left turn lanes. "We are exploring a computer-based evaluation tool that AAA clubs can use to help seniors determine their strengths and weaknesses related to driving ability. We think this will be of interest not only to the seniors, but to families that have an older person driving, "Dr. Dinhz Karr said. The American Medical Association published recommendations in June 2003 aimed at helping physicians evaluate factors that could impair the driving skills of their older patients such as medical conditions and medications that could impair driving skills. The AMA advised doctors to familiarize themselves with assessment and rehabilitation programs aimed at senior drivers. Advice from a doctor can sometimes tip an elder driver's decision to put away the car keys, when family members making the same request only spark argument and recriminations.