The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) recognizes Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, which takes place this year from December 2 through December 6. The weeklong annual awareness campaign promotes understanding of the importance mobility and transportation are to ensuring that older adults remain connected to their communities.
“For most New Yorkers, driving is an essential part of staying connected to our communities—visiting family and friends, and getting to work, the supermarket, pharmacy, and the doctor’s office, among others, so It is important for older drivers and their caregivers to develop an action plan to help ensure they stay safe behind the wheel,” said Acting Director Greg Olsen. “New York recognizes that transportation access is critical—it enables older adults to stay connected to the vital community resources they need to remain healthy and engaged, and furthers our commitment as the first age-friendly state in the nation.”
There are currently 4.3 million older adults in New York State, and that number is expected to increase to 5.3 million over the next decade. As the older population grows, so too will the number of older drivers on the road.
Older adults, as a group, are among the safest drivers on the roads. Drivers over age 55 are involved in fewer crashes, and per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are more likely to observe safer driving behaviors. However, older drivers are also more likely to be killed or injured in traffic crashes due to age-related vulnerabilities, such as more fragile bones, prescription medication use, and chronic medical conditions. Except for teen drivers, older drivers have the highest crash death rate per mile driven, even though they drive fewer miles than younger people.
