Tennessee Highway Safety Office Promotes Older Driver Safety Awareness Week

From December 1–5, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is promoting Older Driver Safety Awareness Week to help reduce traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving older drivers across the state.

The campaign provides tips to educate older drivers and their families about the heightened risks that can come with age. Older drivers, while often very experienced, are more vulnerable to injury and fatalities in crashes due to age-related fragility and medical complications. Drivers aged 70 and older have higher crash death rates per 1,000 crashes compared to middle-aged drivers, primarily because of this increased vulnerability rather than a higher likelihood of getting into crashes.

Challenges for older drivers include changes in vision, physical fitness, and reflexes, as well as medical conditions and medication side effects. Monitoring these age-related changes allows drivers to adjust their driving habits to remain safe or to choose alternative transportation options.

Tips for older driver safety include:

• Understanding how medical conditions and medications can affect driving ability, as some medications may cause drowsiness or impair reaction times.
• Monitoring changes in driving behaviors, such as slower reflexes, getting lost, minor vehicle damage, or fear of driving, which may result from declines in vision, cognitive abilities, or physical abilities.
• Staying current on annual vision exams and other medical check-ups and making necessary adjustments to maintain safe driving capabilities.

For more information about older driver safety resources, visit www.tntrafficsafety.org/olderdrivers.