Senior drivers are on the rise in the USA. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2008, over thirty two million drivers on the road were over the age of sixty-five.
However nowadays, the car determines these seniors’ safety whenever they go out on the road. Many seniors are driving vehicles that are older, and others are in cars not properly adjusted to meet their stature and driving abilities.
The danger to drivers is very real, according to NHTSA. In 2009, nearly two hundred thousand older people were hurt as a result of traffic crashes, accounting for eight percent of all the people injured in traffic crashes during the year. These older individuals made up 16 percent of all traffic fatalities. Most traffic fatalities that involved older drivers back in 2009 occurred during the daytime (eighty-one percent), occurred on weekdays (seventy-one percent), and involved other vehicles (sixty-nine percent).
However, with just a couple of easy safety measures and vehicle maintenance to improve visibility, senior drivers can stay independent and stay safe whenever they go out on the road. We at Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR would like to offer you the following suggestions to help seniors stay safe on the road.
The first thing that you should do to improve the safety of the vehicle is obviously to conduct a safety fit check on the car: Often, a car may not be the proper fit for a senior driver. The seat may be too low or the pedals too far to be reached comfortably or mirrors might no longer be in the right position for optimum vision. Factors like these can all contribute to an accident. Your Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR can provide you with a good evaluation. To help, they can also provide you with any combinations of pedal extensions, booster seats, mirror extension, magnifiers and running boards that you may need for safe driving.
If you’re trying to find a new car for a senior, look for senior-specific options like high or extra-wide doors, adjustable foot pedals, large interior door handles, over-sized knobs with clearly visible labels, support handles to assist with entry and exit of the vehicle, large or adjustable-size print for dashboard gauges, seat adjusters that can move the seat in every direction - particularly upwards so the driver’s line of sight is about three inches above the adjusted steering wheel and dashboard-mounted ignition instead of steering column-mounted ignition.
Also, you will want to check the visibility of your vehicle. It isn't just important for the driver to see out of the car, but it’s also important for them to see the road sufficiently and for other cars to see them as well. Many seniors drive vehicles that are older, and these headlamps lose illumination and become hazed over time. A very easy solution for this problem is the 3M Lens Renewal Kit, which allows users to restore headlights to like-new clarity in under an hour with nothing more then a household drill or you can go to Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR and have it done professionally. Other small things that can make a big difference in overall vehicle visibility is to add new headlight bulbs, change the wiper blades and give the interior and exterior glass a good cleaning.
Unfortunately, another important thing that must be done is an evaluation of the driver. Let's face it: it’s not easy to talk with seniors about their driving, but an assessment can mean the difference between life and death. Find qualified assessments in every state with either the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) or the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA). The driver that will be tested can expect a complete evaluation of their vision, muscle strength, flexibility, and range of motion; coordination and reaction time and judgment and decision-making abilities.
Don't forget to create a safe traffic plan. Senior drivers are generally safer on known routes that do not require consistent lane changes or have heavy traffic. Help the senior in your life to schedule trips when traffic is lighter, and help map out routes to frequently visited locations that include side streets and intersections that aren't very busy. Also identify key landmarks that help seniors to keep oriented on their trip.
Also remember that no matter how safe you are, there is always cause to be prepared for an accident. As such, provide seniors with an accident kit with their insurance information, emergency contact list, notepad and disposable camera. They can call 1-800-CARSTAR for 24/7 assistance and they will coordinate the towing, rental car and contact the insurance company. Don't forget to include the name of their primary physician to give any medical information to EMTs. For the trunk, have an emergency kit packed that includes a blanket, gloves, hat, water, granola bars, flashlight and extra batteries, extra cell phone battery, flares, compass, scissors, rope, wooden matches in waterproof container and first aid kit.
With nothing more then a little preparation and smart maintenance, seniors can be safe on the road far into their golden years. If you've got senior parents, family members, friends or neighbors, take just a few minutes to do a safety check on their vehicle and help them prepare for if an accident does happen. It could the critical difference for them that means avoiding a wreck on the road.