AAA Foundation Unveils Information Clearinghouse for Seniors Who Can No Longer Drive

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2004--States can improve their medical review boards by including provisions that evaluate whether motorists are physically and mentally fit to drive, according to a new analysis released today by AAA.

The analysis compiled by AAA coincides with the National Transportation Safety Board's soon to be released report about the crash of an 86-year-old man who caused the death of 10 people when he drove through a California farmers' market in July of 2003.

According to AAA, 15 states have no medical advisory boards at all to determine the medical guidelines for safe drivers and the boards in 31 states and the District of Columbia lack crucial elements AAA outlines in its Basic Best Practices for Medical Advisory/Review Boards. These recommendations were developed by AAA using information from surveys conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

AAA encourages every state to have a medical advisory or review board comprised of physicians and health care professionals to assess driver capabilities. AAA's Basic Best Practices recommends that these boards develop medical guidelines for licensing in the state and that they be given the authority to recommend customized or restricted licenses that allow driving privileges under certain conditions.

"Because we all age at different rates, seniors' decisions to drive or not to drive should be based on their mental and physical abilities to drive, not simply on their chronological age," said Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, AAA Director of Traffic Safety Policy. "This decision will often involve many people such as a spouse, family member or doctor. Medical advisory boards are important because they don't just determine when it is not safe for someone to drive, they determine when it is safe for people with medical conditions to continue driving."

To help seniors who can no longer drive because of physical or mental impairments, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also today released a report today in partnership with the Beverly Foundation that catalogs over 400 supplemental transportation programs for seniors (STPs) in the United States. These STPs are community-based transportation programs that complement or supplement existing transportation services.

"What sets supplemental transportation programs apart is that they reach an underserved population of older adults who have special mobility needs," said Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, president and CEO. "STPs supplement and often complement the efforts of family members, neighbors, and friends enabling seniors to stay mobile."

The Foundation report specifically highlights a successful 18-month "volunteer friends" pilot project in Pasadena, California called PasRide. In addition to providing rides for seniors, it tested a low-cost, low-maintenance service model that can be adapted and implemented in communities throughout the country.

All STPs in the project are indexed in a database on the AAA Foundation's senior information clearinghouse Web site, www.seniordrivers.org. This site is a useful resource to older drivers and family members. The site also offers information for senior transportation providers and those who want to start such programs.

"AAA is dedicated to keeping seniors driving as long as safely possible," said Dinh-Zarr, "AAA is also committed to promoting viable transportation options for seniors if driving is no longer safe or practical. We have a responsibility to keep our aging population safe and mobile- a responsibility that will ultimately help all of us as we age."

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its 47 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.

Research performed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety can be found at www.aaafoundation.org. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is an independent, publicly funded, 501 (c)(3) charitable research and educational organization established in 1947 by the American Automobile Association. The AAA Foundation's mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce impact when they do occur.

Contact:
AAA
Mantill Williams, 202-942-2082
or
Fairley Washington, 703-582-1133

Source: AAA

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