Safe Mobility in an Aging World
Abstract
This paper presents issues related to individual aging, a growing aging population, and the operation of private motor vehicles. The discussion progresses roughly from demography and social factors, to health status, aging and motor vehicle operating risk, determinants of mobility, economic status, and onto recommendations for safe mobility -- the main theme of this paper. Not discussed are issues related to aging and commercial and public operations in all transportation modes. These issues also are of great importance. However, many of the issues discussed herein with some modification are relevant to those areas.
There is a strong relationship between aging and motor vehicle operation because time can lessen human capabilities like good vision, mental agility, and physical dexterity -- all needed for safety. The demand to operate, however, remains strong because of the benefits mobility (trip making) bestows in the modern age. In many countries, a demographic transition is occurring, the result of an unprecedented, simultaneous low birth and death rate. Countries experiencing this transition will have an increasingly elderly population continuing to operate motor vehicles.
Generally, vehicle operators self regulate with compensating strategies for age-associated deficits. With age, there is increased awareness of the risks inherent in operating a motor vehicle. Such awareness allows older operators to make tactical-level adjustments. As an example, visual limitations result in a reduction or even elimination of night driving. When risks are deemed too great, many persons withdraw completely from driving. However, the self regulation mechanism is not perfect. Data suggests some males continue to operate beyond their capabilities while some female operators may withdraw from vehicle operation prematurely. In any case, the concern is for a loss of safe mobility and the decrease in social and physical well-being.
This paper stresses the need for prolonging safe operation by retraining, making individuals aware of their deficits and the resulting risks to themselves and others, making informed decisions, and to offer to older vehicle operators mobility alternatives. Suggested are ways the benefits of mobility can -- and should be -- maintained after age decrements render safe operations unreasonable. There is also a need for more work to uncover the relationships among medical conditions, drug interactions, and changes in the risk of operating a motor vehicle. Also urged is investigation into the differences between countries, and even regions of countries, on aging and operation issues.
Because age groups have different rates, and, more importantly, different types of crashes, highway safety programs must be optimized for age composition. What is appropriate for one age cohort may not be so for another. Older drivers, in absolute numbers, have fewer crashes of all types because they drive less. However, their crash distribution shows a disproportionately high number of intersection crashes. Left turns are particularly problematic for older vehicle operators. Thus, a need exists for treating, at the operator and infrastructure level, the reasons for this difficulty. Crash worthiness is also important. If older drivers are more likely to be hit from the side, given the types of crashes they have, and the side has less protection, then adjustments are called for to the struck and striking vehicles.
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