n4a
Launches Program
Older Driver Safety Training to be
Available Across U.S.
Nov.
5, 2003 Older driver safety programs will be established through aging
agencies across the U.S. by n4a using a grant from the
U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Safety
Administration (NHTSA).
The
program to reach out to the aging network is named the Community-Based
Approach to Promoting Older Driver Safety. The grant program
will take place over the next 15 months and will focus on establishing
older driver safety programs through aging agencies in communities
across the country.
n4a
is very pleased to undertake this collaborative effort with NHTSA, said
n4a Chief Executive Officer Sandra Markwood. Area Agencies on Aging and
Title VI Native American aging programs are uniquely positioned at the
community level to promote older driver safety through education and
awareness programs.
Over
the next 30 years, the numbers of older drivers on our nations highways
is expected to more than double and the number of drivers over the age
of 85 is expected to be four to five times greater than today. The
growing ranks of older drivers in the decades ahead will pose challenges
for older adults, their caregivers, aging service providers and
communities at large. Our society is largely based on mobility, which is
centered on the use of personal automobiles. Although we cannot
generalize on an older persons capabilities, studies have shown that a
common consequence of aging is a reduction in the skills needed to drive
safely. A large range of options, however, can help older drivers assess
their skills, become better educated on improving their driving
performance, and, if driving is no longer an option, assist them in
finding mobility alternatives.
As
the single point of information about aging issues and services in
communities nationwide, AAAs and Title VI agencies are well positioned
to provide older drivers with assistance so that they can drive as long
as is safely possible, and when the time comes to stop driving they can
direct older adults to other transportation alternatives to maintain
their mobility, continued Markwood.
As
part of the fifteen-month effort, n4a will:
>
Provide 10-12 competitive mini-grants of $2,000 to $3,000
to AAAs and Title VI agencies for older driver safety initiatives at the
community level;
>
Identify and distribute information on older driver safety
best practices and publish the information in a guidebook and
web-based clearinghouse;
>
Develop a technical assistance peer exchange program
utilizing the expertise of AAA and Title VI professionals and other
leaders in the field; and
>
Conduct national training sessions on older driver safety
at its annual conference highlighting national issues and
community-based practices on older driver safety.
The
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the umbrella
organization for 655 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and the
representative body in Washington, D.C. for the interests of 220 Title
VI Native American aging programs in the U.S. Through its presence in
Washington, D.C., n4a advocates on behalf of its member agencies for
enhanced services and resources for seniors and persons with
disabilities in local communities. For more information, visit n4a's web
site at www.n4a.org, or contact K.J. Hertz at 202-296-8130.
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