AAA URGES SENIORS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DRIVING AND AGING 

In support of Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, Dec. 6-12, AAA encourages advance planning to keep senior drivers safe and mobile as they age.

NEWS from AAA South Dakota Dec. 7 – Many seniors and their families will at some point struggle with a difficult decision about an older adult’s driving ability.

• Is it safe for them to continue driving?
• Are there tools to help them be safer?
• How do we know when it’s time to hang up the keys?
• What options exist when they can no longer drive?

To address this growing concern among families in South Dakota, AAA provides expert advice, research-based tools and resources through its safety and mobility Web site – AAASeniors.com.  The information and tools on the site are designed to aid in prompting conversations, assessing abilities and improving the comfort and safety of older drivers.
“Many people do not know where to turn for help to address the safety and mobility challenges often faced by older drivers and their families,” said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA South Dakota. “AAASeniors.com provides the tools needed to create an action plan to help manage the consequences of aging and the effects on driving ability.” 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in five people will be age 65 or older by 2030, with an estimated 90 percent licensed to drive. In support of Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, now through Dec. 12, AAA encourages seniors and their families to address these difficult issues by first having a conversation about driving and aging.

“People age 65 and older represent the fastest growing segment of the country’s population, which makes their safe driving ability an issue that millions of families are facing,” said Mai. “AAA encourages seniors and their families to use Older Driver Safety Awareness Week as an opportunity to begin to talk about safe mobility. AAA can provide the resources needed to help guide them through this process.”

For many seniors, conversations about continued safe driving can easily spark strong emotional reactions such as concerns about personal independence and managing other day-to-day activities. Fortunately, these conversations also can serve as opportunities for constructive communication and problem solving.

Talking with an older driver is just the first step. AAA also provides guidance and tools to help senior drivers drive as long as possible, as safely as possible.

• AAA Roadwise Review is a computer-based tool designed to assess a driver’s functional abilities important to safe driving. An online version is available free at AAASeniors.com. 
• CarFit and AAA’s Smart Features for Mature Drivers help to enhance seniors’ comfort and safety while driving.
• AAA South Dakota’s Motor Vehicle Crash Prevention Course provides classroom driver training to help motorists minimize risk on the road. It also qualifies graduates for an auto insurance discount. For information, call (918) 748-1071.

For more information about Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, go online and visit AAA.com/PublicAffairs. Additional resources for older drivers can also be found at AAA.com.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA South Dakota can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com