Promoting Older Driver Safety: Guide for State Practices (2023)

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46 C H A P T E R 7 This chapter compiles older driver safety resources, related to the Guideline No. 13 elements, from successful state programs, reports, and other relevant information. This wider range of resources offers the SHSOs guidance on promoting safety for this focus group in their states. 7.1 Safety Programs/Projects Strategic Safety Plan Development of the comprehensive, data-driven, and evaluation strategic safety plan Aging Road User Strategic Safety Plan was essential to the success of the Safe Mobility for Life program in Florida (Figure 20). Rather than relying on older driver goals in other state plans like the SHSP or HSP, the Coalition established baseline data on population, drivers, and crashes by age, and is currently developing, implementing, and evaluating resources and programs to help reach goals and objectives. The most recent plan was updated in April 2022. Human Factors Studies The Safe Mobility for Life program (Figure 21) conducted a Human Factors Guideline study, in partnership with Florida State University’s Department of Psychology, on the use of educa- tional tip cards on young, middle-age, and older adults. The study findings helped the program develop a research-based checklist for designing tip cards to educate older adults on new road- way features. Using the research results and recommendations, FDOT and the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition developed tip cards and graphics for: Flashing Yellow Arrows, Right-Turn-on- Red, Roundabouts, and Wrong-Way Driving on the Interstate. Coalition Meetings The meetings of the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition have helped program management reach the targeted goals and objectives in the Aging Road User Strategic Safety Plan. The Coalition holds meetings three times a year, choosing one topic for each meeting and discussing successes, challenges, and how they overcame those challenges. Goal area teams, that meet periodically throughout the year, take time during the meeting to report on current projects and develop ideas for new projects. Roadway Design The FDOT Traffic Engineering and Operations Office handles issues related to aging drivers, traffic studies, intersection operations, signing, pavement marking, signals, and traffic engineer- ing standards for the state highway system. Resources

Resources 47 Based on the FHWA Handbook for Designing Roadways for the Aging Population, FDOT implements roadway improvements that meet revised design standards (Figure 22). The road- way and pedestrian improvements include pavement marking width increases, large lettering size, refuge islands, advance street name signs, and advance warning systems that were installed by FDOT on state roads during the early years of the Safe Mobility for Life program. Local governments have adopted these improvements, making them common roadway features. These improvements address natural age-related changes by providing increased visibility, safer pedestrian features at intersections, and advance notification. Figure 20. Florida Aging Road User Strategic Safety Plan. Figure 21. Safe Mobility for Life program (http://safemobilityfl.com/ pdfs/FDOT-BDV30-977-15-rpt.pdf).

48 Promoting Older Driver Safety: Guide for State Practices Driver Licensing ChORUS serves as a centralized, user-friendly, and dynamic source of information pertain- ing to highway safety for aging drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. ChORUS offers a wide range of resources for state driver licensing agencies to help them develop older driver safety guides, which can include a list of screening and assessment tools states have found useful, resources for counter staff training and education related to older driver safety, older driver license renewal policies, data, and other resources. The Safe Mobility for Life Florida Driver’s License web page compiles information from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) on older driver licensing requirements that makes it easy for the target audience to find the information in one place. The web page includes information on the Florida driving license renewal process for older drivers, identifica- tion card renewal, vision requirements for license renewal, and legislation affecting traffic and motor vehicle laws. The California DMV Senior Driver provides information on driver licensing for older drivers, health related information, and information on getting around. Medical Providers The Occupational Therapy Toolkit is a collection of illustrated patient handouts for adults with physical disabilities, chronic conditions, and geriatric conditions that physicians can print and give to their patients, particularly older patients who may suffer from many of the geriatric conditions featured in the handouts. The 97 treatment guides are based on current research and best practices. Figure 22. FHWA Handbook for Designing Roadways for the Aging Population (http://www.safemobilityfl. com/Program.htm).

Resources 49 The ChORUS Medical Professionals Guide provides medical professionals resources to help integrate driving safety into patient encounters with older adults. The included information and referrals can help connect patients to supports and solutions that will allow them to drive safely as long as possible. Law Enforcement The Law Enforcement Professionals Guide by ChORUS provides nationwide practical and proven resources to support law enforcement officers as they assist older drivers in their com- munity. The guide contains assessment tools, quick training videos to show and discuss during daily roll call, quick reference guides, and community outreach tools. The Yellow Dot Program (Figure 23) helps save lives of senior drivers and other citizens during a car crash by alerting first responders to a yellow decal on the driver’s side rear window. The decal signals first responders to check in the glove compartment for the cor- responding “Yellow Dot” folder with crucial emergency information to help the victim. The National Yellow Dot Program encourages all states to implement their own driver safety programs to help older drivers and other citizens. Yellow Dot programs are helping senior drivers in states including Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, and West Virginia. Social and Aging Service Providers The ChORUS Older Driver Transportation Planning Tool provides older drivers with instruc- tions for developing a transportation plan for when safe driving is no longer an option. Figure 23. Yellow Dot Program (https://www.wvoems.org/media/136519/ yellow%20dot%20program.pdf).

50 Promoting Older Driver Safety: Guide for State Practices Plan for the Road Ahead (Figure 24) helps individuals to assess their readiness to stop driving and to create a driving retirement plan by identifying their transportation needs and deter- mining assorted options. Information on how aging impacts driving and how to assess a person’s driving skills is also included. Area Agency Services for Older Drivers is a web page by the Mississippi Department of Human Service (MDHS) Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS). Ten area agencies on aging across the state serve as focal points offering a comprehensive array of services at the local level to assure the quality of life and continued independence for the state’s older citizens. Services include meal programs, child and adult care food program, senior companion program, family caregiver support program, transportation services, and emergency services. Communication Each year NHTSA designates the first full week of December as Older Driver Safety Aware- ness Week to encourage older residents to seek mobility independence, understand the risk factors of driving as they age, and build a well-rounded transportation plan. Florida, Maryland, and Missouri have conducted week-long campaigns by sharing tips and guidelines, toolkits, and information with the media to raise older driver safety awareness. CarFit is a free safety education program, developed by AAA, AARP Driver Safety, and AOTA, that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them and how to improve their safety and comfort behind the wheel (Figure 25). It also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance a driver’s safety and increase their mobility. In-person CarFit events were suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced by a series of virtual CarFit workshops; states are starting to open in-person opportunities when it is safe to do so. Florida, Maryland, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Ohio conduct CarFit events as part of their older driver safety outreach. The Georgia Department of Public Health’s 55+ Driver Safety Program hosted a Raging Aging Symposium with a series of presentations focused on aging road users (Figure 26). The presenta- tions ranged from staying safe on the road, balancing the physical and cognitive changes that impact safe driving and mobility, caregiver resources, and guidelines for state and local road- ways for older driver safety. Figure 24. Plan for the Road Ahead (Feb 20, 2020) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= GYU90CDfq90&t=6s).

Resources 51 Florida Safe Mobility for Life Coalition conducts a Safe Walking for Life Workshop, and Keys to Achieve Safe Mobility for Life Workshop focused on road users ages 50+. These workshops help older adults learn how to understand the impact aging has on driving, be proactive about their safe driving skills, and plan for a safe transition. Participants walk away with resources to help them stay safe and mobile for life. An observational walk is part of the Safe Walking for Life Workshop. Community Partners The Florida Safe Mobility for Life Community Partner Agreement is a grassroots effort to expand access to resources that benefit aging road users (Figure 27). Community Partners work with the Coalition to improve the safety, access, and mobility of Florida’s aging population through outreach. Individuals who participate as community partners support the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition at local events and workshops, function as a liaison between the community and the coalition, contact local groups and organizations to schedule workshops, and distribute materials through their current roles and positions. Various states utilize different social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) to reach out to larger audience groups. E-newsletters and insiders are also a part of the outreach. Figure 25. CarFit (https://www.car-fit.org/). Figure 26. Raging Aging symposium Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory IPRCE. Jan 10, 2022. (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeqZrtRTfD8&list= PLTncrtHErAop3_x6unjHqAFDem_nC3fE4&index=6).

52 Promoting Older Driver Safety: Guide for State Practices Program Evaluation and Data The Safe Mobility for Life Coalition considers data as the critical part of their older driver safety program as it helps ensure focus on the most pressing issues. On an annual basis, the Coalition obtains official data on crashes, population, and licensing to identify meaning- ful trends. This data establishes priority counties that support the Coalition’s decisions as it implements Florida’s Aging Road User Strategic Safety Plan (Figure 28). The data web page of the Coalition shows the priority counties list, representing high aging road user crashes. The web page also provides a link to FDOT’s eTraffic interactive map that includes 65+ crashes, 65+ driver involvement rate in crashes, Safe Mobility for Life priority intersections, etc., and offers the option of overlaying Safe Mobility for Life data with other road characteristics map- ping layers. Community Maps—Wisconsin County Crash Mapping provides the state’s law enforcement agencies and county Traffic Safety Commissions with a statewide interactive map of all police reported motor vehicle crashes from 2010 to the current year. Users can review crash history by demographics such as 65+, and filter crashes based on crash factors and key issue areas. Conclusion The resources here are a sample of the information and research available on older driver safety. Reviewing these resources can give an SHSO a head start and provide direction and ideas on establishing or expanding an older driver safety program. Regardless of location, all states have older drivers and these drivers do have an impact on traffic safety. Reviewing successful approaches or finding a resource with more in-depth information provides the SHSO with the information they need to develop a successful in-house program or support efforts by other agencies. Figure 27. Safe Mobility for Life (July 28, 2022. https://twitter.com/ SafeMobilityFL).

Resources 53 Figure 28. Florida’s Aging Road User Strategic Safety Plan (http://www. safemobilityfl.com/Data.htm).