A recent spike in fatal and serious injury crashes involving older residents has Rice County traffic safety advocates planning additional ways to help ensure mature drivers stay safe behind the wheel.
All four fatal crashes and four of the 15 serious injury crashes recorded in Rice County this year to date involved those 65 and older.
“That’s telling us that we need to focus on older drivers,” Kathy Cooper, Rice County Safe Roads Coalition coordinator, told the Rice County Board of Commissioners during its Sept. 23 meeting.
While the aging process diminishes an individual’s’ reflexes, vision and strength, studies show that older drivers also tend to rely on experience and are much more likely to use safe driving habits like using seat belts, obeying speed limits and following the rules of the road to compensate than inexperienced drivers.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety, senior citizens are more likely to be killed or injured in traffic crashes because they’re more easily injured and less able to recover from injuries. Intersections can cause elderly drivers trouble, especially when gauging the speed of traffic on the lanes they’ll cross.
The Rice County Safe Road Coalition, supported through a Toward Zero Deaths grant administered by Rice County Public Health, hopes to again host CarFit clinics — a program of AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association — for mature drivers similar to the one held in Northfield last May. During a clinic, trained technicians review how an individual fits in their car, checking to ensure mirrors are properly adjusted and that the driver is the right distance from the pedals and steering wheel.
Improper positioning can cause fatigue in the legs and slow reaction times as well as increase the risk of serious injury.
The Minnesota departments of Health, Public Safety and Transportation have recently issued an updated “Safe Driving Guide for Drivers 65+ and Families.” It’s available online at https://bit.ly/SafeDrivingGuide and includes commons myths about older drivers such as the age when they should stop driving (Hint: there’s no universal answer), how medical conditions can affect driving and ways to help keep your mind sharp.
There’s also the Smart Drive Course from AARP which is available both in person and online. Those completing the course may be eligible for an auto insurance discount. Learn more and find a course location near you at aarp.org/auto/driver-safety/locations.
