Older Driver Safety Week is here

  By 2030, one-fifth of America will be in the retirement age, 65 years old or more, according to Census Bureau statistics, and that reality brings driving challenges for all.

Almost 10 million of this group will be age 85 or older, census figures show, and 90 percent will still be licensed to operate a vehicle.

“People age 65 and older represent the fastest growing segment of the country’s population, which makes their safe driving ability an issue that millions of families are facing,” said John Townsend, manager of public and government affairs for the American Automobile Association, Mid-Atlantic, in a written statement. “Older Driving Safety Awareness Week is an opportunity for families to start a conversation about safe mobility and address any real and perceived challenges associated with driving and aging.”

The discussion could prove crucial; the National Highway Traffic Administration reports older drivers were involved in 5,569 fatal crashes in 2008. That accounts for 11 percent of all the driving fatalities for that year, according to the NHTSA.

And in the District of Columbia alone, drivers age 65 or older were involved in vehicle accidents in 2008 that led to six fatalities – a figure that represents 14 percent of all the fatal wrecks in the city for this year.

Still, older drivers tout the better safety record, compared to other age categories, AAA Mid-Atlantic finds. In the District of Columbia, for example, drivers aged 21-to-34 were involved in 19 fatal wrecks, or 43 percent of all fatal accidents, in 2008. That’s the highest number for all the age groups, according to AAA.

“While many have the perception that senior drivers are unfit to drive,” Townsend continued, in his written statement, “this age group has more experience behind the wheel, drives fewer miles, tends to take less risks and is less likely to drive and drive than younger drivers.”

The point of the Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, which runs Dec. 6-10, is simply to foster communication among older drivers and those who care for them – not to boot elderly drivers from the roads.

“Conversations about safe driving can evoke strong emotional reactions from some older drivers, as concerns about personal independence and managing other day-to-day activities may come into question,” Townsend said. “We encourage seniors and their families to approach these sensitive conversations as opportunities for constructive communication and problem solving.”

For more information about the week, or to get guidance on how to discuss future travel and driving arrangements with an elderly individual, visit www.AAA.com/PublicAffairs.

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-530-3903.