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PPA 419 – Aging Services Administration
Lecture 10 – Aging and Transportation
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The prevailing view in our society is that a license to drive represents the freedom to come and go as we please.
This begins with the young, beginning driver and prevails through all ages, including the older driver.
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The symbolic value is at least as great as its practical value.
For the young, the license is a rite of passage into the adult world of independence. For the older driver, its loss represents the loss of independence and perhaps even the loss of identity.
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The loss of driving privileges can place a burden not only on the driver, but on the driver’s family.
Loss of driving privileges makes the older person transportation dependent, often on children and grandchildren who were once dependent on the older person.
Can be a difficult and painful role reversal.
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Older person can become house-bound if no family or formal alternative exists.
Nevertheless, evidence suggests that unsafe driving increases with age and the number of older people in the U.S. is increasing.
The risk of a crash increases for 75 and older, when looking at miles traveled.
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Problem: The decline in the safety of motor vehicle operation with increasing age is not uniform.
Many older drivers show no decline in skills, some show catastrophic decline, most fall somewhere in between.
Many older drivers are aware of their declining skills and voluntarily limit their driving, by limiting frequency, night-time driving, driving during heavy traffic, or driving complicated or dangerous routes.
Others refuse to acknowledge their decline in skills.
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State policy responsesAged-based license renewal with road tests (Illinois, New
Hampshire, Indiana.Vision, knowledge, and skills tests over 75 (Illinois and
Indiana).Other states prohibit reexamination on the basis of age
(California, Maryland, Massachusetts).Other states reduce time between renewals (Iowa, Louisiana,
New Mexico).Others impose vision tests or restrict renewal by mail on the
basis of age.
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