Introduction: Why Is Older-Driver Safety and Wellness a Growing Concern for Health, Aging and Social Service Professionals?

Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. There were 18.9 million older licensed drivers in 2000 - a 36 percent increase from a decade earlier.¹ By 2020, it is estimated that more than 40 million older Americans will be licensed drivers.² Not only will there be more drivers, but they will also drive more miles per year than previous generations and will drive at older ages. Baby boomers have long enjoyed the freedom to drive their cars for work and for pleasure, and most likely, they will continue to use them as they age. Many older adults rely heavily on the automobile for transportation because they have moved out of urban areas or raised families and aged in suburban or rural communities away from public transport systems.

For older adults now and in the future, driving represents the ability to maintain connections and contribute to the community.

¹ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2001) Traffic Safety Facts 2001: Older Population 1. U.S. Dept. of Transportation. No. DOT HS 809 475. Also available at NHTSA on the World Wide Web: www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSFAnn/TSF2001.pdf.

² National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2003) "Preventing Injury to Older Adult Drivers." Retrieved from CDC on the World Wide Web: www.cdc.gov/programs/injury12.htm.