Older Adult Safety and Mobility

In the coming decades, about one in five drivers will be aged 65 or more years in many Western nations. Given the increased fatal crash risk of older adults coupled with the continuing need for effective mobility, the issue of older adult safety and mobility is complex. Indeed, researchers have suggested that this issue has two interdependent, underlying goals for research and programs: to help those who are able to drive safely continue to do so and to identify and provide community mobility support to those who are no longer able to drive. This article briefly discusses the issues and research needs related to older adult safety and mobility including population and driving trends, crash risks, skills needed for safe driving, the effects of medical conditions and medicines on driving skills, screening and assessment, strategies for extending safe driving, and driving cessation and the use of alternative transportation options.

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