Text Box: Federal Update Text Box: East Carolina University Washington Initiatives in the Senate and House Text Box: Albert A. Delia • Director of Federal Relations • Office of the Chancellor East Carolina University • Willis Building • 300 East First Street • Greenville, NC 27858-4353 Phone: 301-724-2342 or 252-328-6650, ext. 240 • Fax: 252-328-4356 • E-mail: deliaa@mail.ecu.edu • www.ecu.edu/rds/

As the elder population grows, most people will be healthier and more independent for at least 20 years after they retire. There also will more of them.

In fact, people over 65 accounted for 13 percent of  the American population in 2000. That percentage is expected to climb to 20 percent by 2030.

Many of these people rely on personal vehicles to help them live independent and fulfilling lives, and they are accustomed to the convenience and flexibility of cars.

But with aging come physical and mental changes. Reflexes slow, eyes dim, and information gets confusing.

For older drivers, these changes mean difficulty behind the wheel.

That difficulty comes at a time when these drivers need transportation to doctors’ offices, pharmacies, grocery stores and family gatherings.

A recent study found the normal aging process, combined with medications for problems associated with aging, acts to make older adults the most vulnerable drivers on the road.

The crash rate for older drivers is directly related to physical and mental changes associated with aging.Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among 65-75-year-olds.

Research for Older Adult Driver Initiative

ROADI: Helping drivers retain freedom, boost safety

They are the second leading cause of death among 75-85-year-olds, second only to falls.

According to the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, people over the age of 75 have more motor vehicle deaths per 1,000 than any other cohort of the population, except for those under the age of 25.

The study, “Transportation in an Aging Society: A Decade of Experience” also found that per mile driven, older drivers have more crashes than all other drivers except teenagers.

East Carolina University has proposed a project that would assess older

driver skills through occupational

therapy and provide accommoda

tions to compensate for the loss of skills or physical ability.

Working closely with researchers at other institutions across the country, particularly the University of Florida, the Research for Older Adult Driver Initiative (ROADI) would study and develop an effective way to perform driver screening, evaluation and rehabilitation for three key functions in safe driving: vision, cognition and motor function.

ECU’s proposed project would highlight the ability of the occupational therapy program to create an assessment of older drivers and to recommend accommodations for  them.

As a part of East Carolina University’s Biosensory Center, the Research  for Older Adult Driver Initiative will lay the groundwork to develop:

 

1. A national standard for a functional performance assessment

2. Interventions that would keep more older drivers on the road safely.

 

 

 

 

 

Request:

· Facilitate discussions with the insurance industry to create a public-private partnership to fund this $6.3 million initiative.

 

March 2005