PA: Editorial | Balancing mobility and road safety

State officials this week highlighted resources that are available for older drivers in Pennsylvania. Among them:

• A network of shared-ride service providers that officials said are “dedicated to keeping older adults mobile, safe and engaged in their community.” The Senior Shared Ride Program allows seniors to ride at a reduced fare.
• The Free Transit Program for Seniors that allows people aged 65 or older to ride for free on a local, fixed-route service whenever local public transit is operating.
• An online tool called Find My Ride that allows older drivers to access free ride services online. The app allows transit agencies to process applications more efficiently so users can access benefits more quickly. The app can be found at findmyride.penn-dot.pa.gov, or at www.pa.gov/penndot by clicking on Traveling in PA, then Public Transit Options.
• A list of approved “mature driver courses” that can be found online on PennDOT’s Mature Driver Improvement Courses page.
• The Seniors Driving Safely publication series that can be downloaded for free from the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website.
• The CarFit educational program, created by the American Society on Aging and developed with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, which is designed to help older drivers find out how well they currently “fit” their personal vehicle, to learn how they can improve their fit, and to promote conversations about driver safety and community mobility. (See car-fit.org.)

It was all part of “Older Driver Safety Awareness Week,” the Shapiro administration said, noting that more than a quarter of Pennsylvania’s 9.1 million licensed drivers are 65 or older.

“Mobility is essential to quality of life at any age, especially as friends and families gather to celebrate the holiday season,” said PennDOT Executive Deputy Secretary Larry Shifflet.

“While many older drivers have a lifetime of valuable driving experience to draw from, PennDOT continually seeks to balance the safety of our roadways with the need for independence and autonomy,” he said.

Officials suggested that older drivers and their families ought to “work together to identify potential issues that may affect driving, outline courses of action to assist the older driver, and plan for when it’s time to hang up the keys.”

They noted that while each person ages differently, aging typically brings “physical, visual and cognitive changes that could impair an older person’s ability to drive safely.”

Signs that can indicate it may be time to limit or stop driving altogether include, the officials said:

• Feeling uncomfortable, fearful or nervous when driving.
• Unexplained dents or scrapes on the car, fences, mailboxes or garage doors.
• Frequently getting lost and frequent “close calls,” i.e., almost crashing.
• Slower response times, particularly to unexpected situations.
• Difficulty paying attention to signs or staying in the lane of traffic.
• Trouble judging gaps at intersections or highway ramps.

Officials’ emphasis on safety for drivers – of all ages – was particularly timely this week as the season’s first substantial snowfall hit Pennsylvania.

“Some factors that may pose challenges for drivers of all ages, but especially older drivers, include adverse winter weather conditions, longer nights and heavy holiday traffic,” said Capt. Adam Reed, assistant director of community outreach for the state police.

“To help ensure their safety on the roadways, older drivers should make sure their eye exams are up-to-date and understand how prescribed medications could affect their driving. And please remember … all drivers should always buckle up!”

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