LETTING GO OF THE WHEEL. ELDERLY DRIVERS: HOW OLD IS TOO OLD?

Outliving our ability to drive safely presents not only serious logistical problems but also a tremendous sense of personal loss. Older adults often withdraw from social activities because they do not want to impose on friends or family members to provide them with transportation. Public transportation usually is inadequate in all but the largest cities. Automobile engineers are working on technologies designed to mitigate challenges faced by older adults. Such technologies include less-forceful air bags and seat belts, devices that improve night vision, and proximity alerts that warn of nearby vehicles. If not curtailed by such developments, traffic fatalities among older Americans could triple by 2030 and exceed the 1995 statistics for alcohol-related traffic deaths. Despite these statistics, society's sensitivity to aging hinders concrete action. Public policy generally supports keeping older drivers on the road as long as safely possible. Twenty-one states set special requirements for older drivers, while several others prohibit licensing decisions based solely on advanced age. To hone the skills of individual drivers, AARP has developed its 55 Alive driver training program. Approximately 8,000 volunteer instructors teach the low-cost course to some 650,000 students a year.