By 2030, more than 40 million aging Baby Boomers will be flooding America's streets and highways as senior drivers. For some people, this is a scary thought, because senior citizens and teenagers have the highest rates of auto accidents in the United States. For others, including Baby Boomers whose auto insurance premiums may increase when they become senior drivers, it is merely something to plan for. And that is exactly what many organizations and states are doing by developing driver safety programs, car accessories, and new laws to help improve senior drivers' overall driving performance. Some of these new Baby Boomer driving programs and enhancements include:
Driver Safety Classes
A refresher course for drivers age 50 and older, the AARP Driver Safety Class is designed to help seniors tune up their driving skills, update their knowledge, reduce traffic violations, learn about age-related physical challenges and most importantly, learn how to be safe drivers. In addition, the AARP course can also help its graduates earn a multi-year discount on their auto insurance.
AAA Roadwise Review
To help keep senior drivers safe, AAA has developed an interactive CD-ROM called Roadwise Review, which seniors can use in the comfort of their own homes. The CD covers the eight physical and mental abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers, such as:
- Leg Strength and General Mobility—necessary to control acceleration and braking.
- Head/Neck Flexibility—essential in checking blind spots, lane changes or merging.
- High Contrast Visual Acuity—needed to identify pavement markings, as well as detect many types of hazards in or near the road.
- Low Contrast Visual Acuity—vital for driving in low visibility conditions such as dusk, rain or fog.
- Working Memory—important in following directions, remembering traffic rules and regulations, and using information on highway guide signs.
- Visualization of Missing Information—helps a driver recognize hazards even when seeing only part of the picture.
- Visual Search—required to quickly find and recognize traffic signs and landmarks.
- Useful Field of View—ensures drivers can pay attention to what is happening right in front of them, while also noticing safety threats at the edge of their field of view.
CarFit
Developed by the American Society on Aging, AARP, The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. and AAA, CarFit is a 12-point checklist program created for senior drivers to evaluate how well their cars are fitting their physical and mental needs. During a CarFit session, seniors meet with a trained professional who reviews some questions with them and checks their vehicle for proper fit and usability. The process only takes about 15 minutes and concludes with a list of recommended car adjustments and adaptations seniors can make to their vehicle.
Car Accessories
Due to rising health care costs, seniors may not have the resources to buy a new, senior-friendly car. However, there are items aging Baby Boomers can purchase to help make driving easier. These include seat cushions to elevate drivers to the appropriate eye level, pedal extensions to help drivers maintain the recommended 10 inches between the driver and the steering wheel, and corrective mirrors that help eliminate blind spots and compensate for decreased mobility in the neck—a common problem in many senior drivers.
Renewing Driver's Licenses
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, states that require people to renew their driver's licenses in person have 17% fewer crashes among drivers older than 85 than states without such rules. Many states go further, with laws mandating a special written and vision test prior to renewal of seniors' driver's licenses.
Prototype Cars
Together with a variety of automotive manufacturers, the AgeLab at M.I.T. has been conducting research and tests on various vehicles to try to develop a car that will help prolong and promote safe driving among older adults. One of the cars the AgeLab has developed is the "Driving Miss Daisy" smart car. This VW Beetle is equipped with driving simulators and bumper-mounted sensors that use radar to activate collision-warning and emergency-alert systems. The collision-warning system helps gauge the speed of on-coming traffic, and the emergency-alert system beeps when the car starts to drift out of its lane. If ever developed for the public, this could potentially improve the driving performance of senior drivers.
Reevaluate Your Auto Insurance
Often, seniors continue to pay for auto insurance they no longer need. That is why it is a good idea for seasoned drivers to reevaluate their auto insurance policy once they have retired or have reduced the amount of miles they actually drive in a day. To help, Insurance.com offers an auto insurance comparison application that allows seniors to view multiple rates from top insurance providers. Not only will the comparison module help you save time, it can also save you money on your auto insurance rate.
Worried About an Elderly Driver?
Seniors often continue to drive because they do not want to burden family members with the task of driving them around from place to place—even though they themselves might be questioning their own driving ability. Consider offering to drive your family member to and from errands or doctor's appointments; they will appreciate the offer and company.
If your family member lives far away, check with local transportation services in their area to see if there is a pick-up/drop-off service that can drive them to their destination. Even if you cannot be there, at least you will know they are in safe hands.