Senior Citizens On The Road

The senior citizens of today have simply grown up with their cars.  They came of age in the forties and fifties when the automobile culture really began to prosper.  The automobile characterized their life – where they chose to live, how they chose to vacation, even where they chose to work.

The number of senior drivers is on the rise in the United States. Back in the year 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that there were over thirty two million drivers that were over the age of 65.

The automobile of today defines these seniors’ safety on the road.  Unfortunately, many of our seniors are driving old vehicles, and others still are in vehicles that aren't really adjusted to match their height and driving abilities.

According to NHTSA, the dangers are very real. Back in the year of 2009, one hundred eighty-seven thousand seniors were wounded in traffic crashes. This accounts for eight percent of all the people injured in traffic crashes during that year. These elderly people end up being 16% of traffic fatalities nationwide. Of traffic fatalities with older drivers being involved in 2009, eighty-one percent happened in the daytime, seventy-one percent occurred on weekdays, and sixty-nine percent involved other automobiles.

Thankfully, these numbers can be significantly reduced with just a few safety measures and regular vehicle maintenance to improve visibility. It doesn't have to be hard for a senior driver to retain their independence and improve their safety on the road. Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters is proud to offer the following suggestions for keeping the senior citizen in your life safe on the road.

Conduct a Safety Fit Check on the Vehicle:  In many cases, a car might not be a good fit for a senior driver.  For example, the seat might be too low or the pedals could be too far to reach comfortably or mirrors may no longer be in the best position for overall satisfactory vision.  All of these factors could contribute to a possibly devastating accident.  Your Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, Missouri can give you a very good evaluation.  To help, they can even provide pedal extensions, booster seats, mirror extension, magnifiers and running boards.

If you are looking for a new car for a senior to drive, look for senior-specific solutions like higher or extra-wide doorways, modifiable foot pedals, big inside door handles, extra-large buttons with plainly visible labels, support handles to help along entry and exit, large or adjustable-size print for gauges on the dashboard, seat adjustment devices that can move the seat in all directions, especially raising it so the driver’s line of sight is three inches above the adjusted steering wheel or more and dashboard-mounted ignition systems instead of steering column-mounted ignition systems.

Check the Vehicle Visibility: Of course, it is easy to see the importance for a driver to see out of the car. However, it’s also important for them to see the road well and for other cars to see them. Many seniors drive old automobiles, and these kinds of headlamps can easily lose illumination or become hazy over time.  The 3M Lens Renewal Kit, an easy solution for this sort of issue, enables consumers to revive headlights to pristine clarity in less than an hour with nothing more than a household drill. If this doesn't work for you, have it done professionally by Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, MO. Add new headlight bulbs, change the windshield wiper blades and give the interior and exterior glass a thorough cleaning to improve overall visibility.

Evaluate the Driver: It can be hard to talk with seniors about their driving skills, but an assessment can be important. Find qualified evaluations in each and every state with the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) and the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA).  The driver ought to expect a complete evaluation with eyesight assessment and muscle strength, flexibility, and range of motion; coordination and reaction time plus judgment and decision-making abilities.

Make a Safe Traffic Plan:  Senior drivers generally are safer on familiar routes that do not require frequent lane changes or have heavy traffic.  Help seniors to schedule trips when traffic is less heavy, and help them to map out routes to frequently visited locations that consist of mostly side streets and less busy intersections.  Also identify key landmarks that help seniors to stay fully oriented on their trip.

Prepare for an Emergency:  In case there is an emergency or accident, give seniors an accident kit with their insurance information, emergency contact list, notepad and disposable camera.  Don't forget that they can call 1-800-CARSTAR twenty-four hours a day for assistance and CARSTAR will manage the towing, rental car and contact the insurance company. Also incorporate the names of their primary doctor to supply any health-related information to Emergency Medical Technicians. For the trunk, pack an emergency kit with a blanket, gloves, hat, water, granola bars, flashlight and extra batteries, extra cell phone battery, flares, compass, scissors, rope, wooden matches in waterproof container and first aid kit.

With just a little preparation and smart maintenance, seniors can be safe on the road well into their golden years. If you have senior parents, family members, friends, or neighbors, take just a few minutes to do a safety check on their car or truck and help them prepare in case a crash does happen.  It can make a critical difference for them on the road.