AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. Learn more.
For state chapters go to: http://www.aarp.org/states/
AAA Content
The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists was established in 1977 to support professionals working in the field of driver education / driver training and transportation equipment modifications for persons with disabilities through education and information dissemination. ADED, a nonprofit association, is the primary professional organization in this specialized area, and stands ready to meet the professional needs of its members through educational conferences and research support as well as encouraging equipment development to maximize the transportation options for persons with disabilities. Learn more.
There are eight chapters in the U.S. and Canada.
Following is ADED’s statement on Aging and Driving: More on Aging and Driving.
The American Automobile Association, Inc., its 59 regional affiliated motor clubs, and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety are dedicated to keeping seniors driving for as long as safely possible. AAA is also committed to promoting viable transportation options for seniors who can no longer drive independently. AAA has an extensive section on its website dedicated to older driver safety and is intended to provide users with general information to help them better understand the traffic safety implications of certain health conditions and human behaviors. Learn more.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization developing model programs in motor vehicle administration, law enforcement and highway safety. The association also serves as an information clearinghouse in these areas, and acts as the international spokesperson for these interests.
Founded in 1933, AAMVA represents the state and provincial officials in the United States and Canada who administer and enforce motor vehicle laws. AAMVA’s programs encourage uniformity and reciprocity among the states and provinces. Its development and research activities provide guidelines for more effective public service.
AAMVA’s membership includes associations, organizations and businesses that share an interest in the association’s goals. AAMVA has four regions incorporated under its umbrella. AAMVA’s statement on how to handle aging drivers follows:
It is understood that drivers should be allowed to continue to drive as long as possible provided there is a reasonable expectation that they can safely operate a vehicle. Only when an individual poses an imminent threat to public safety should their driving privilege be withdrawn or restricted. The driving privilege may be restored when the individual’s condition becomes stable or returns to a state where their mental and physical capability allows them to operate a vehicle safely. An individual’s having a disease is not sufficient cause for a jurisdiction to withdraw the driving privilege. The disease must affect that person visually, physically, or cognitively in a manner that jeopardizes public safety. These medical guidelines are based upon research and a best practices approach toward determining whether an individual is capable of driving safely.
Additional Links:
Learn More
At Risk Drivers
Older Driver Safety
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. Learn more.
For state chapters go to: http://www.aarp.org/states/
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials advocates transportation-related policies and provides technical services to support
states in their efforts to efficiently and safely move people and goods.
AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.
As the voice of transportation, AASHTO works to educate the public and key decision makers about the critical role that transportation plays in securing a good quality of life and sound economy for our nation. AASHTO serves as a liaison between state departments of transportation and the Federal government. AASHTO is an international leader in setting technical standards for all phases of highway system development. Standards are issued for design, construction of highways and bridges, materials, and many other technical areas. Learn more.
The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists was established in 1977 to support professionals working in the field of driver education / driver training and transportation equipment modifications for persons with disabilities through education and information dissemination. ADED, a nonprofit association, is the primary professional organization in this specialized area, and stands ready to meet the professional needs of its members through educational conferences and research support as well as encouraging equipment development to maximize the transportation options for persons with disabilities. Learn more.
There are eight chapters in the U.S. and Canada.
Following is ADED’s statement on Aging and Driving: More on Aging and Driving.
The American Occupational Therapy Association is the national professional association established in 1917 to represent the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy and to improve the quality of occupational therapy services.
Current AOTA membership is nearly 42,000, including occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapy students. Members reside in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and internationally.
AOTA’s major programs and activities are directed toward assuring the quality of occupational therapy services; improving consumer access to health care services, and promoting the professional development of members.
AOTA educates the public and advances the profession by providing resources, setting standards, and serving as an advocate to improve health care. AOTA is based in Bethesda, MD.
The American Occupational Therapy Association advances the quality, availability, use, and support of occupational therapy through standard-setting, advocacy, education, and research on behalf of its members and the public.
Learn more.
Statement on Driver Safety:
Staying connected to your community is an important part of your well-being. For most of us, driving our own car is how we stay mobile and on the go. Driving is how we see the people we want to see and how we do the things we want to do at our convenience. But changes in our physical, mental, and sensory abilities can challenge our continued ability to drive safely.
Occupational therapy practitioners have the science-based knowledge to understand progressive conditions and life changes that can affect driving. Because occupational therapy practitioners take the time to understand the role that driving plays in your life, they are able to help individuals make a smoother transition from driving to using other forms of transportation. In doing so, they help people maintain their autonomy, independence, and sense of worth.
AOTA sponsors an Older Driver Safety Awareness Week each year. Learn more.
AOTA’s Older Driver Safety Awareness Week aims to promote understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensuring older adults remain active in the community—shopping, working or volunteering—with the confidence that transportation will not be the barrier to strand them at home.
Additional Resources:
Driver Safety Tips
GHSA represents the state and territorial highway safety offices that implement programs to address behavioral highway safety issues, including: occupant protection, impaired driving, and speeding. GHSA provides leadership and advocacy for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices.
GHSA is aware that it is projected by the year 2020, nearly 50 million Americans over 65 will have or be eligible for a driver’s license and almost one-half of them will be age 75 or older.
The needs of mature drivers could be addressed by making highway signs bigger and brighter; maintaining roadway signs and markings to the highest level of accepted performance; passing safety belt use laws; adopting state uniform vision standards; and researching crash protection for mature drivers. In addition, early warning programs should be developed to help mature drivers better understand their driving capabilities. Improvements should be made in the licensing process so that safe mature drivers are kept on the road as long as possible. Learn more.
Additional information:
Older driver safety
Laws affecting older drivers
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the leading voice on aging issues for Area Agencies on Aging and a champion for Title VI Native American aging programs. Through advocacy, training and technical assistance, we support the national network of 629 AAAs and 246 Title VI programs. NAAA advocates on behalf of our member agencies for services and resources for older adults and persons with disabilities. Action characterizes how we move our agenda forward, and when there is a question about aging, we have the Answers on Aging. We work with our members in achieving our collective mission of building a society that values and supports people as they age.
Learn more.
Additional information:
PDF on the mature driver
Older Driver Safety Project
Administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and sponsored by the member departments (i.e., individual state departments of transportation) of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) was created in 1962 as a means to conduct research in acute problem areas that affect highway planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance nationwide. Publications concerning research on Older Driver Safety are available for purchase. Learn more.
The National Center on Senior Transportation’s mission is to increase transportation options for older adults and enhance their ability to live more independently within their communities throughout the United States. NCST achieves this mission by gathering and sharing best practices; providing technical assistance and training; facilitating strategic partnerships and community engagement to support the development and coordination of senior transportation options; developing and disseminating information, including the use of web-based and social media vehicles; and administering demonstration grants, including the nine Person-Centered Mobility Management projects. A collaborative approach involving a wide range of expert partners and consumers underlies all NCST activities.
Learn more.
Resources on older driver safety and how to get around when a private care is no longer an option are found on the website and are free.
The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, TRB facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical excellence; provide expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research results broadly and encouraged their implementation.
TRB is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council— a private, nonprofit institution that is the principal operating agency of the National Academies in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The National Research Council is jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. TRB’s varied activities—described below—annually engage more than 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest by participating on TRB committees, panels, and task forces. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.
TRB was established in 1920 as the National Advisory Board on Highway Research to provide a mechanism for the exchange of information and research results about highway technology. Renamed the Highway Research Board (HRB) in 1925, the organization accomplished its mission through standing committees, publications, and an annual meeting. In the decades that followed, HRB steadily increased in size. Information exchange remained its sole mission until the 1950s, when it began to undertake management of ad hoc research projects. The first continuing research management activity—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program— started in 1962. During the 1960s, the Board’s activities became increasingly multimodal in outlook. In 1974 the Highway Research Board became the Transportation Research Board. Since then, TRB’s portfolio of services has expanded significantly—first in the early 1980s, when it began conducting studies of national transportation policy issues, and again in the 1990s, when Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the state departments of transportation asked TRB to undertake additional tasks, including management responsibilities for the Transit Cooperative Research Program, guidance of ongoing research programs such as the Long-Term Pavement Performance studies, and management of the Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis programs. More recent additions have included new cooperative research programs in airports, freight, and hazardous materials transportation, and the second Strategic Highway Research Program. Learn more.
Publications concerning older driver safety are available for purchase on the website.
In order to serve a growing senior population, AoA envisions ensuring the continuation of a vibrant aging services network at State, Territory, local and Tribal levels through funding of lower-cost, non-medical services and supports that provide the means by which many more seniors can maintain their independence.
The mission of AoA is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities. Learn more.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes. Gene L. Dodaro became the eighth Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on December 22, 2010, when he was confirmed by the United States Senate. He was nominated by President Obama in September of 2010 and had been serving as Acting Comptroller General since March of 2008.
Their mission is to support the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. They provide Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, non-ideological, fair, and balanced.
Their work is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees or is mandated by public laws or committee reports. They also undertake research under the authority of the Comptroller General. We support congressional oversight by:
They advise Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more efficient, effective, ethical, equitable and responsive. Their work leads to laws and acts that improve government operations, saving the government and taxpayers billions of dollars. Learn more.
Below are links to articles on older driver safety:
The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the U.S. and significant accidents in other modes of transportation-railroad, highway, marine and pipeline.
Learn more.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides stewardship over the construction, maintenance and preservation of the Nation’s highways, bridges and tunnels. FHWA also conducts research and provides technical assistance to state and local agencies in an effort to improve safety, mobility, and livability, and to encourage innovation. Learn more.
The mission of the Department is to serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. Learn more.
NHTSA was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 to carry out safety programs previously administered by the National Highway Safety Bureau. Specifically, the agency directs the highway safety and consumer programs established by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, the Highway Safety Act of 1966, the 1972 Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, and succeeding amendments to these laws. Dedicated to achieving the highest standards of excellence in motor vehicle and highway safety, NHTSA works daily to help prevent crashes and their attendant costs, both human and financial. The agency strives to exceed the expectations of its customers through its core values of Integrity, Service, and Leadership. Learn more.
The mission of the Department is to serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. Learn more.
Search results for Older Driver Safety
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides stewardship over the construction, maintenance and preservation of the Nation’s highways, bridges and tunnels. FHWA also conducts research and provides technical assistance to state and local agencies in an effort to improve safety, mobility, and livability, and to encourage innovation. Learn more.
Search results for Older Driver Safety
The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the U.S. and significant accidents in other modes of transportation-railroad, highway, marine and pipeline.
Learn more.
Search results for Older Driver Safety
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes. Gene L. Dodaro became the eighth Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on December 22, 2010, when he was confirmed by the United States Senate. He was nominated by President Obama in September of 2010 and had been serving as Acting Comptroller General since March of 2008.
Their mission is to support the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. They provide Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, non-ideological, fair, and balanced.
Their work is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees or is mandated by public laws or committee reports. They also undertake research under the authority of the Comptroller General. We support congressional oversight by:
They advise Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more efficient, effective, ethical, equitable and responsive. Their work leads to laws and acts that improve government operations, saving the government and taxpayers billions of dollars. Learn more.
Below are links to articles on older driver safety:
In order to serve a growing senior population, AoA envisions ensuring the continuation of a vibrant aging services network at State, Territory, local and Tribal levels through funding of lower-cost, non-medical services and supports that provide the means by which many more seniors can maintain their independence.
The mission of
AoA is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities.Learn more.