Older Driver Safety: Knowledge Sharing Should Help States Prepare for Increase in Older Driver Population
Published: 2007-04-11T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: As people age, their physical, visual, and cognitive abilities may decline, making it more difficult for them to drive safely. Older drivers are also more likely to suffer injuries or die in crashes than drivers in other age groups. These safety issues will increase in significance because older adults represent the fastest-growing U.S. population segment. GAO examined (1) what the federal government has done to promote practices to make roads safer for older drivers and the extent to which states have implemented those practices, (2) the extent to which states assess the fitness of older drivers and what support the federal government has provided, and (3) what initiatives selected states have implemented to improve the safety of older drivers. To conduct this study, GAO surveyed 51 state departments of transportation (DOT), visited six states, and interviewed federal transportation officials.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has recommended practices--such as using larger letters on signs--targeted to making roadways easier for older drivers to navigate. FHWA also provides funding that states may use for projects that address older driver safety. States have, to varying degrees, adopted FHWA's recommended practices. For example, 24 states reported including about half or more of FHWA's practices in state design guides, while the majority of states reported implementing certain FHWA practices in roadway construction, operations, and maintenance activities. States generally do not place high priority on projects that specifically address older driver safety but try to include practices that benefit older drivers in all projects. More than half of the states have implemented licensing requirements for older drivers that are more stringent than requirements for younger drivers, but states' assessment practices are not comprehensive. For example, these practices primarily involve more frequent or in-person renewals and mandatory vision screening but do not generally include assessments of physical and cognitive functions. While requirements for in-person license renewals generally appear to correspond with lower crash rates for drivers over age 85, the validity of other assessment tools is less clear. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is sponsoring research and other initiatives to develop and assist states in implementing more comprehensive driver fitness assessment practices. Five of the six states GAO visited have implemented coordination groups to assemble a broad range of stakeholders to develop strategies and foster efforts to improve older driver safety in areas of strategic planning, education and awareness, licensing and driver fitness assessment, roadway engineering, and data analysis. However, knowledge sharing among states on older driver safety initiatives is limited, and officials said states could benefit from knowledge of other states' initiatives.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: As people age, their physical, visual, and cognitive abilities may deteriorate,  making it more difficult for them to drive safely. Furthermore, older drivers  are more likely to suffer injuries or die in accidents than drivers in most  other age groups, in part because of the greater frailty that comes with age.  Older driver safety issues will become increasingly significant in the future  because older adults represent the fastest-growing segment of the U.S.  population—by 2030 the number of licensed drivers aged 65 and older is  expected to nearly double to about 57 million. Consequently, efforts to  build safer roads and develop better methods of assessing driver fitness are  keys to helping older people continue to drive safely and maintain their  mobility, independence, and health.
Concerned about the safety of older drivers, you requested that we review  steps being taken by both the federal and state governments to support  older driver safety initiatives. Accordingly, this report addresses (1) what  the federal government has done to promote practices to make roads safer  for older drivers and the extent to which states have implemented those  practices, (2) the extent to which states assess the fitness of older drivers  and what support the federal government has provided, and (3) what  initiatives selected states have implemented to improve the safety of older  drivers.
To determine what the federal government has done to promote practices  to make roads safer for older drivers, we reviewed documents and  interviewed officials from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)  within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). To obtain information  on the extent to which states are implementing these practices, we  surveyed and received responses from DOTs in each of the 50 states and  the District of Columbia. This report does not contain all the results from  the survey. The survey and a more complete tabulation of the results can be  viewed at www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-517SP. To determine the  extent to which states assess the fitness of older drivers and what support  the federal government has provided, we reviewed documents and  interviewed officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety  Administration (NHTSA) within the U.S. DOT, the National Institute on  Aging (NIA) and the Administration on Aging (AOA) within the U.S.  Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the American  Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA)—a  nongovernmental organization that represents state driver licensing  agencies. To obtain information on initiatives that selected states have  implemented, we conducted case studies in six states—California, Florida,  Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and Oregon—that transportation experts  identified as progressive in their efforts to improve older driver safety. The  scope of our work focused on older driver safety. Prior GAO work  addressed the associated issue of senior mobility for those who do not  drive. We conducted our work from April 2006 through April 2007 in  accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. (For  details of our objectives, scope, and methodology, see app. I.)
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: Driving is a complex task that depends on visual, cognitive, and physical  functions that enable a person to  see traffic and road conditions;  recognize what is seen, process the information, and decide how to   physically act to control the vehicle.
Although the aging process affects people at different rates and in different  ways, functional declines associated with aging can affect driving ability.  For example, vision declines may reduce the ability to see other vehicles,  traffic signals, signs, lane markings, and pedestrians; cognitive declines  may reduce the ability to recognize traffic conditions, remember  destinations, and make appropriate decisions in operating the vehicle; and  physical declines may reduce the ability to perform movements required to  control the vehicle.
A particular concern is older drivers with dementia, often as a result of  illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia impairs cognitive and  sensory functions causing disorientation, potentially leading to dangerous  driving practices. Age is the most significant risk factor for developing  dementia—approximately 12 percent of those aged 65 to 84 are likely to  develop the condition while over 47 percent of those aged 85 and older are  likely to be afflicted. For drivers with the condition, the risk of being  involved in a crash is two to eight times greater than for those with no  cognitive impairment. However, some drivers with dementia, particularly  in the early stages, may still be capable of driving safely.
Older drivers experience fewer fatal crashes per licensed driver compared  with drivers in younger age groups; however, on the basis of miles driven,  older drivers have a comparatively higher involvement in fatal crashes.  Over the past decade, the rate of older driver involvement in fatal crashes,  measured on the basis of licensed drivers, has decreased and, overall, older  drivers have a lower rate of fatal crashes than drivers in younger age  groups (see fig. 1). Older drivers’ fatal crash rate per licensed driver is  lower than corresponding rates for drivers in younger age groups, in part,  because older drivers drive fewer miles per year than younger drivers, may  hold licenses even though they no longer drive, and may avoid driving  during times and under conditions when crashes tend to occur, such as  during rush hour or at night. However, on the basis of miles traveled, older  drivers who are involved in a crash are more likely to suffer fatal injuries  than are drivers in younger age groups who are involved in crashes. As  shown in figure 2, drivers aged 65 to 74 are more likely to be involved in a  fatal crash than all but the youngest drivers (aged 16 to 24), and drivers  aged 75 and older are more likely than drivers in all other age groups to be  involved in a fatal crash.
Older drivers will be increasingly exposed to crash risks because older  adults are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, and future  generations of older drivers are expected to drive more miles per year and  at older ages compared with the current older-driver cohort. The U.S.  Census Bureau projects that the population of adults aged 65 and older will  more than double, from 35.1 million people (12.4 percent of total  population) in 2000 to 86.7 million people (20.7 percent of total population)  in 2050 (see fig. 3).
Intersections pose a particular safety problem for older drivers. Navigating  through intersections requires the ability to make rapid decisions, react  quickly, and accurately judge speed and distance. As these abilities can  diminish through aging, older drivers have more difficulties at intersections  and are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash at these locations.  Research shows that 37 percent of traffic-related fatalities involving drivers  aged 65 and older occur at intersections compared with 18 percent for  drivers aged 26 to 64. Figure 4 illustrates how fatalities at intersections  represent an increasing proportion of all traffic fatalities as drivers age.
DOT—through FHWA and NHTSA—has a role in promoting older driver  safety, although states are directly responsible for operating their roadways  and establishing driver licensing requirements. FHWA focuses on roadway  engineering and has established guidelines for designers to use in  developing engineering enhancements to roadways to accommodate the  declining functional capabilities of older drivers. NHTSA focuses on  reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities among older people by  promoting, in conjunction with nongovernmental organizations, research,  education, and programs aimed at identifying older drivers with functional  limitations that impair driving performance. NHTSA has developed several  guides, brochures, and booklets for use by the medical community, law  enforcement officials, older drivers’ family members, and older drivers  themselves that provide guidance on what actions can be taken to improve  older drivers’ capabilities or to compensate for lost capabilities.  Additionally, NIA supports research related to older driver safety through  administering grants designed to examine, among other issues, how  impairments in sensory and cognitive functions impact driving ability.
These federal initiatives support state efforts to make roads safer for older  drivers and establish assessment practices to evaluate the fitness of older  drivers.
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A  Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), signed into law in August 2005,  establishes a framework for federal investment in transportation and has  specific provisions for older driver safety. SAFETEA-LU authorizes $193.1  billion in Federal-Aid Highway Program funds to be distributed through  FHWA for states to implement road preservation, improvement, and  construction projects, some of which may include improvements for older  drivers. SAFETEA-LU also directs DOT to carry out a program to improve  traffic signs and pavement markings to accommodate older drivers. To  fulfill these requirements, FHWA has updated or plans to update its  guidebooks on highway design for older drivers, plans to conduct  workshops on designing roads for older drivers that will be available to  state practitioners, and has added a senior mobility series to its bimonthly  magazine that highlights advances and innovations in highway/traffic  research and technology. Additionally, SAFTEA-LU authorizes NHTSA to  spend $1.7 million per year (during fiscal years 2006 through 2009) in  establishing a comprehensive research and demonstration program to  improve traffic safety for older drivers.
section_title: FHWA Has Recommended Practices and Made Funding Available to Make Roads Safer for Older Drivers, but States Generally Give Higher Priority to Other Safety Issues
paragraphs: FHWA has recommended practices for designing and operating roadways  to make them safer for older drivers and administers SAFETEA-LU funds  that states—which own and operate most roadways under state or local  government authority—may use for road maintenance or construction  projects to improve roads for older drivers. To varying degrees, states are  implementing FHWA’s older driver practices and developing plans and  programs that consider older drivers’ needs. However, responses to our  survey indicated that other safety issues—such as railway and highway  intersections and roadside hazard elimination—are of greater concern to  states, and states generally place a higher priority on projects that address  these issues rather than projects targeted only towards older drivers.
subsections: section_title: FHWA Has Recommended Road Design and Operating Practices and Funds Programs to Improve Older Driver Safety
paragraphs: FHWA has issued guidelines and recommendations to states on practices  that are intended to make roads safer for older drivers, such as the  Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians. The  practices emphasize cost-effective construction and maintenance  measures involving both the physical layout of the roadway and use of  traffic control devices such as signs, pavement markings, and traffic  signals. The practices are specifically designed to improve conditions at  sites—intersections, interchanges, curved roads, construction work zones,  and railroad crossings—known to be unsafe for older drivers. While these  practices are designed to address older drivers’ needs, implementation of  these practices can make roads safer for all drivers.
Intersections—Recognizing that intersections are particularly  problematic for older drivers, FHWA’s top priority in its Highway  Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians is intersection  improvements. Practices to improve older drivers’ ability to navigate  intersections include using bigger signs with larger lettering to identify  street names, consistent placement of lane use signs and arrow  pavement markings, aligning lanes to improve drivers’ ability to see  oncoming traffic, and using reflective markers on medians and island  curbs at intersections to make them easier to see at night. See figures 5  through 8 for these and additional intersection improvement practices.
Interchanges—Practices to aid older drivers at interchanges include  using signs and pavement markings to better identify right and wrong  directions of travel and configuring on-ramps to provide a longer  distance for accelerating and merging into traffic. See figure 9 for these  and additional interchange improvement practices.
Road curves—Practices to assist older drivers on curves include using  signs and reflective markers—especially on tight curves—to clearly  delineate the path of the road. See figure 10 for these and additional  curve improvement practices.
Construction work zones—Practices to improve older driver safety in  construction work zones include increasing the length of time messages  are visible on changeable message signs; providing easily discernable  barriers between opposing traffic lanes in crossovers; using properly  sized devices (cones and drums) to delineate temporary lanes; and  installing temporary reflective pavement markers to make lanes easier  to navigate at night.
Railroad crossings—Practices to help older drivers are aimed at  making the railroad crossing more conspicuous by using reflective  materials on the front and back of railroad crossing signs and  delineating the approach to the crossing with reflective posts. See figure  11 for these and additional railroad crossing improvement practices.
FHWA is continuing to research and develop practices to make roads safer  for older drivers. FHWA also promotes the implementation of these  practices by sponsoring studies and demonstration projects, updating its  Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians, and  training state and local transportation officials. For example, FHWA is  supporting a research study—to be conducted over the next 3 to 5 years— on the effectiveness of selected low-cost road improvements in reducing  the number and severity of crashes for all drivers. With the findings of this  and other studies, FHWA plans to update its guidelines to refine existing or  recommend new practices in improving older driver safety. In addition,  FHWA is considering changes to its MUTCD—to be published in 2009—that  will enhance older driver safety by updating standards related to sign  legibility and traffic signal visibility.
Under SAFETEA-LU, FHWA provides funding that states may use to  implement highway maintenance or construction projects that can enhance  older driver safety. However, because projects to enhance older driver  safety can be developed under several different SAFETEA-LU programs, it  is difficult to determine the amount of federal funding dedicated to  highway improvements for older drivers. While older driver safety is  generally not the primary focus of projects funded through SAFETEA-LU  programs, improvements made to roads may incorporate elements of  FHWA’s older driver safety practices. For example, under SAFETEA-LU’s  Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), states submit a Strategic  Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) after reviewing crash and other data and  determining what areas need to be emphasized when making safety  improvements. If older driver safety is found to be an area of emphasis, a  state may develop projects to be funded under the HSIP that provide, for  example, improved traffic signs, pavement markings, and road layouts  consistent with practices listed in FHWA’s Highway Design Handbook for  Older Drivers and Pedestrians.
section_title: Some States Have Implemented FHWA’s Recommended Practices and Considered Older Drivers in Highway Safety Plans and Programs, but Other Safety Issues Generally Receive Greater Priority
paragraphs: State DOTs have, to varying degrees, incorporated FHWA’s older driver  safety practices into their design standards; implemented the practices in  construction, operations, and maintenance activities; trained technical  staff in applying the practices; and coordinated with local agencies to  promote the use of the practices. The states’ responses to our survey  indicate the range in states’ efforts.
Design standards. Nearly half of the states have incorporated about half or  more of FHWA’s practices into their design standards, as follows: 24 state DOTs reported including about half, most, almost all, or all of  the recommendations.  20 reported including some of the recommendations.   6 reported including few or none of the recommendations.
Construction, operations, and maintenance activities. Even though most  state DOTs have not incorporated all FHWA practices into their design  standards, the majority of states have implemented some FHWA practices  in construction, operations, and maintenance activities, particularly in the  areas of intersections and work zones (see table 1).
Training. Nearly one-fourth of state DOTs have provided training on  FHWA practices to half or more of their technical staff, as follows:   12 state DOTs reported having trained about half, most, almost all, or all  of their technical staff.  32 have trained some of their technical staff.   7 have trained few or none of their technical staff.
Coordination with local agencies. Because state transportation agencies  do not own local roads—which may account for the majority of roads in a  state—coordination with local governments is important in promoting  older driver safety in the design, operation, and maintenance of local roads.  The states reported using a variety of methods in their work with local  governments to improve older driver safety (see table 2).
States also varied in their efforts to consult stakeholders on older driver  issues in developing highway safety plans (defined in the state SHSP) and  lists of projects in their Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs  (STIP). According to our survey, 27 of the 51 state DOTs have established  older driver safety as a component of their SHSPs, and our survey indicated  that, in developing their SHSPs, these states were more likely to consult  with stakeholders concerned about older driver safety than were states  that did not include an older driver component in their plans. Obtaining  input from stakeholders concerned about older driver safety—from both  governmental and nongovernmental organizations—is important because  they can contribute additional information, and can sometimes provide  resources, to address older driver safety issues. For example, elderly  mobility was identified by the Michigan State Safety Commission to be an  emerging issue and, in February 1998, funded the Southeast Michigan  Council of Governments (SEMCOG) to convene a statewide,  interdisciplinary Elderly Mobility and Safety Task Force. SEMCOG  coordinated with various stakeholder groups—Michigan DOT, Michigan  Department of State, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning,  Michigan Department of Community Health, Office of Services to the  Aging, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, agencies  on aging, and AAA Michigan among others—in developing a statewide plan  to address older driver safety and mobility issues. This plan—which  outlines recommendations in the areas of traffic engineering, alternative  transportation, housing and land use, health and medicine, licensing, and  education and awareness—forms the basis for the strategy defined in  Michigan’s SHSP to address older drivers’ mobility and safety.
Even though 27 state DOTs have reported establishing older driver safety  as a component of their SHSPs, only 4 state DOTs reported including older  driver safety improvement projects in their fiscal year 2007 STIPs.  However, state STIPs may contain projects that will benefit older drivers.  For example, 49 state DOTs reported including funding for intersection  improvements in their STIPs. Because drivers are increasingly more likely  to be involved in an intersection crash as they age, older drivers, in  particular, should benefit from states’ investments in intersection safety  projects, which generally provide improved signage, traffic signals,  turning lanes, and other features consistent with FHWA’s older driver safety  practices.
Although older driver safety could become a more pressing need in the  future as the population of older drivers increases, states are applying their  resources to areas that pose greater safety concerns. In response to a  question in our survey about the extent to which resources—defined to  include staff hours and funds spent on research, professional services, and  construction contracts—were invested in different types of safety projects,  many state DOTs indicated that they apply resources to a great or very  great extent to safety projects other than those concerning older driver  safety (see table 3). Survey responses indicated that resource constraints  are a significant contributing factor to limiting states’ implementation of  FHWA’s older driver safety practices and development of strategic plans  and programs that consider older driver concerns.
section_title: More than Half of States Have Implemented Some Assessment Practices for Older Drivers, and NHTSA Is Sponsoring Research to Develop More Comprehensive Assessments
paragraphs: More than half of state licensing agencies have implemented assessment  practices to support licensing requirements for older drivers that are more  stringent than requirements for younger drivers. These requirements— established under state licensing procedures—generally involve more  frequent renewals (16 states), mandatory vision screening (10 states), in- person renewals (5 states) and mandatory road tests (2 states). However,  assessment of driver fitness in all states is not comprehensive because  cognitive and physical functions are generally not evaluated to the same  extent as visual function. Furthermore, the effectiveness of assessment  practices used by states is largely unknown. Recognizing the need for  better assessment tools, NHTSA is developing more comprehensive  practices to assess driver fitness and intends to provide technical  assistance to states in implementing these practices.
subsections: section_title: Over Half of the States Have More Stringent Licensing Requirements for Older Drivers, but Assessment Practices Are Not Comprehensive
paragraphs: Over half of the states have procedures that establish licensing  requirements for older drivers that are more stringent than requirements  for younger drivers. These requirements generally include more frequent  license renewal, mandatory vision screening, in-person renewals, and  mandatory road tests. In addition, states may also consider input from  medical advisory boards, physician reports, and third-party referrals in  assessing driver fitness and making licensing decisions. (See fig. 12 and  app. II for additional details.)
Accelerated renewal—Sixteen states have accelerated renewal cycles  for older drivers that require drivers older than a specific age to renew  their licenses more frequently. Colorado, for example, normally requires  drivers to renew their licenses every 10 years, but drivers aged 61 and  older must renew their licenses every 5 years.
Vision screening—Ten states require older drivers to undergo vision  assessments, conducted by either the Department of Motor Vehicles or  their doctor, as part of the license renewal process. These assessments  generally test for visual acuity or sharpness of vision. For example, the  average age for mandatory vision screening is 62, with some states  beginning this screening as early as age 40 (Maine and Maryland) and  other states beginning as late as age 80 (Florida and Virginia).
In-person renewal—Five states—Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,  and Louisiana—that otherwise allow license renewal by mail require  older drivers to renew their licenses in person. Arizona, California, and  Louisiana do not permit mail renewal for drivers aged 70 and older.  Alaska does not allow mail renewal for drivers aged 69 and older, while  Colorado requires in-person renewal for those over age 61.
Road test—Two states, New Hampshire and Illinois, require older  drivers to pass road examinations upon reaching 75 years and at all  subsequent renewals.
In addition, states have adopted other practices to assist licensing agencies  in assessing driver fitness and identifying older drivers whose driving  fitness may need to be reevaluated.
Medical Advisory Boards—Thirty-five states and the District of  Columbia rely on Medical Advisory Boards (MAB) to assist licensing  agencies in evaluating people with medical conditions or functional  limitations that may affect their ability to drive. A MAB may be  organizationally placed within a state’s transportation, public safety, or  motor vehicle department. Board members—practicing physicians or  health care professionals—are typically nominated or appointed by the  state medical association, motor vehicle administrator, or governor’s  office. Some MABs review individual cases typically compiled by case  workers who collect and review medical and other evidence such as  accident reports that is used to make a determination about a person’s  fitness to drive. The volume of cases reviewed by MABs varies greatly  across states. For example, seven state MABs review more than 1,000  cases annually, while another seven MABs review fewer than 10 cases  annually.
Physician reports—While all states accept reports of potentially unsafe  drivers from physicians, nine states require physicians to report physical  conditions that might impair driving skills. For example, California  specifically requires doctors to report a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease  or related disorders, including dementia, while Delaware, New Jersey,  and Nevada require physicians to report cases of epilepsy and those  involving a person’s loss of consciousness. However, not all states  assure physicians that such reports will be kept confidential, so  physicians may choose not to report patients if they fear retribution in  the form of a lawsuit or loss of the patient’s business.
Third-party referrals—In addition to reports from physicians, all states  accept third-party referrals of concerns about drivers of any age. Upon  receipt of the referral, the licensing agency may choose to contact the  driver in question to assess the person’s fitness to drive. A recent survey  of state licensing agencies found that nearly three-fourths of all referrals  came from law enforcement officials (37 percent) and physicians or  other medical professionals (35 percent). About 13 percent of all  referrals came from drivers’ families or friends, and 15 percent came  from crash and violation record checks, courts, self-reports, and other  sources.
However, the assessment practices that state licensing agencies use to  evaluate driver fitness are not comprehensive. For example, our review of  state assessment practices indicates that all states screen for vision, but we  did not find a state with screening tools to evaluate physical and cognitive  functions. Furthermore, the validity of assessment practices used by  states is largely unknown. While research indicates that in-person license  renewal is associated with lower crash rates—particularly for those aged  85 and older—other assessment practices, such as vision screening, road  tests, and more frequent license renewal cycles, are not always associated  with lower older driver fatality rates. According to NHTSA, there is  insufficient evidence on the validity and reliability of any driving  assessment or screening tool. Thus, states may have difficulty discerning  which tools to implement.
section_title: NHTSA Is Developing More Comprehensive Practices to Assess Driver Fitness
paragraphs: NHTSA, supported by the NIA and by partner nongovernmental  organizations, has promoted research and development of mechanisms to  assist licensing agencies and other stakeholders—medical providers, law  enforcement officers, social service providers, family members—in better  identifying medically at-risk individuals; assessing their driving fitness  through a comprehensive evaluation of visual, physical, and cognitive  functions; and enabling their driving for as long as safely possible. In the  case of older drivers, NHTSA recognizes that only a fraction of older  drivers are at increased risk of being involved in an accident and focuses its  efforts on providing appropriate research-based materials and information  to the broad range of stakeholders who can identify and influence the  behavior of at-risk drivers. Initiatives undertaken by NHTSA and its  partner organizations include:   Model Driver Screening and Evaluation Program. Initially developed  by NHTSA in partnership with AAMVA and supported with researchers  funded by NIA—the program provides a framework for driver referral,  screening assessment, counseling, and licensing actions. The guidance  is based on research that relates an individual’s functional abilities to  driving performance and reflects the results of a comprehensive  research project carried out in cooperation with the Maryland Motor  Vehicle Administration. Recent research supported under this program  and with NIA grants evaluated a range of screenings related to visual,  physical, and cognitive functions that could be completed at a licensing  agency and may effectively identify drivers at an increased risk of being  involved in a crash.
Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers.
Developed by the American Medical Association to raise awareness  among physicians, the guide cites relevant literature and expert views  (as of May 2003) to assist physicians in judging patients’ fitness to drive.  The guide is based on NHTSA’s earlier work with the Association for the  Advancement of Automotive Medicine. This work—a detailed literature  review—summarized knowledge about various categories of medical  conditions, their prevalence, and their potential impact on driving  ability.
Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure  Guide for State Highway Safety Offices. Developed with the Governors  Highway Safety Association, this publication describes current  initiatives in the areas of communications and outreach, licensing, and  law enforcement—and the associated effectiveness, use, cost, and time  required for implementation—that state agencies might consider for  improving older driver safety.
NHTSA Web site. NHTSA maintains an older driver Web site with  content for drivers, caregivers, licensing administrators, and other  stakeholders to help older drivers remain safe.
NIA research. NIA is supporting research on several fronts in studying  risk factors for older drivers and in developing new tools for driver  training and driver fitness assessment.
A computer-based training tool is being developed to help older  drivers improve the speed with which they process visual  information. This tool is a self-administered interactive variation of  validated training techniques that have been shown to improve visual  processing speed. The tool is being designed as a cost-effective  mechanism that can be broadly implemented, at social service  organizations, for example, and made accessible to older drivers.
Driving simulators are being studied as a means of testing driving  ability and retraining drivers in a manner that is more reliable and  consistent than on-road testing. Virtual reality driving simulation is a  potentially viable means of testing that could more accurately  identify cognitive and motor impairments than could on-road tests  that are comparatively less safe and more subjective.
Research is ongoing to evaluate the impacts of hearing loss on  cognitive functions in situations, such as driving, that require  multitasking. Results of the research may provide insights into what  level of auditory processing is needed for safe driving and may lead  to development of future auditory screening tools.
Studies that combine a battery of cognitive function and road/driving  simulator tests are being conducted to learn how age-related changes  lead to hazardous driving.  Results of these studies may prove useful  in developing screening tests to identify functionally-impaired  drivers—particularly those with dementia—who are at risk of being  involved in a crash and may be unfit to drive.
NHTSA is also developing guidelines to assist states in implementing  assessment practices. To date, NHTSA’s research and model programs have  had limited impact on state licensing practices. For example, according to  NHTSA, no state has implemented the guidelines outlined in its Model  Driver Screening and Evaluation Program. Furthermore, there is  insufficient evidence on the validity and reliability of driving assessments,  so states may have difficulty discerning which assessments to implement.  To assist states in implementing assessment practices, NHTSA, as  authorized under SAFETEA-LU section 2017, developed a plan to, among  other things, (1) provide information and guidelines to people (medical  providers, licensing personnel, law enforcement officers) who can  influence older drivers and (2) improve the scientific basis for licensing  decisions. In its plan NHTSA notes that the most important work on older  driver safety that needs to occur in the next 5 years is refining screening  and assessment tools and getting them into the hands of the users who  need them. As an element of its plan, NHTSA is cooperating with AAMVA to  create a Medical Review Task Force that will identify areas where  standards of practice to assess the driving of at-risk individuals are possible  and develop strategies for implementing guidelines that states can use in  choosing which practices to adopt. The task force will—in areas such as  vision and cognition—define existing practices used by states and identify  gaps in research to encourage consensus on standards. NHTSA officials  said that work is currently under way to develop neurological guidelines— which will cover issues related to cognitive assessments—and anticipate  that the task force will report its findings in 2008.
section_title: Selected States Have Implemented Coordinating Groups and Other Initiatives to Promote Older Driver Safety
paragraphs: Of the six states we visited, five—California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and  Michigan— have active multidisciplinary coordination groups that may  include government, medical, academic, and social service representatives,  among others, to develop strategies and implement efforts to improve older  driver safety. Each of these states identified its coordination group as a  key initiative in improving older driver safety. As shown in table 4, the  coordinating groups originated in different ways and vary in size and  structure. For example, Florida’s At-Risk Driver Council was formally  established under state legislation while Maryland’s group functions on an  ad hoc basis with no statutory authority. The approaches taken by these  groups in addressing older driver safety issues vary as well. For example,  California’s large task force broadly reaches several state agencies and  partner organizations, and the task force leaders oversee the activity of  eight work groups in implementing multiple action items to improve older  driver safety. In contrast, Iowa’s Older Driver Target Area Team is a smaller  group that operates through informal partnerships among member  agencies and is currently providing consulting services to the Iowa  Department of Transportation on the implementation of older driver  strategies identified in Iowa’s Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan.
Members of the coordination groups we spoke with said that their state  could benefit from information about other states’ practices. For example,  coordinating group members told us that sharing information about leading  road design and licensing practices, legislative initiatives, research efforts,  and model training programs that affect older drivers could support  decisions about whether to implement new practices. Furthermore, group  members said that identifying the research basis for practices could help  them assess the benefits to be derived from implementing a particular  practice. While some mechanisms exist to facilitate information exchanges  on some topics, such as driver fitness assessment and licensing through  AAMVA’s Web site, there is no mechanism for states to share information  on the broad range of efforts related to older driver safety.
In addition to coordinating groups, the six states have ongoing efforts to  improve older driver safety in the areas of strategic planning, education  and awareness, licensing and driver fitness assessment, engineering, and  data analysis. The following examples highlight specific initiatives and  leading practices in each of these categories.
Strategic planning—Planning documents establish recommended actions  and provide guidance to stakeholders on ways to improve older driver  safety.
The Michigan Senior Mobility Action Plan, issued in November 2006,  builds upon the state’s 1999 plan (Elderly Mobility & Safety—The  Michigan Approach) and outlines additional strategies, discusses  accomplishments, and sets action plans in the areas of planning,  research, education and awareness, engineering countermeasures,  alternative transportation, housing and land use, and licensing designed  to (1) reduce the number and severity of crashes involving older drivers  and pedestrians, (2) increase the scope and effectiveness of alternative  transportation options available to older people, (3) assist older people  in maintaining mobility safely for as long as possible, and (4) plan for a  day when driving may no longer be possible. In implementing this plan,  officials are exploring the development of a community-based resource  center that seniors can use to find information on mobility at a local  level.
Traffic Safety among Older Adults: Recommendations for  California—developed through a grant from California’s Office of  Traffic Safety and published in August 2002—offers a comprehensive set  of recommendations and provides guidance to help agencies and  communities reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities to older adults.  The Older Californian Traffic Safety Task Force was subsequently  established to coordinate the implementation of the report’s  recommendations.
Education/awareness—Education and public awareness initiatives enable  outreach to stakeholders interested in promoting older driver safety.
Florida GrandDriver®—based on a program developed by AAMVA— takes a multifaceted approach to public outreach through actions such  as providing Web-based information related to driver safety courses and  alternative transportation; training medical, social service and  transportation professionals; offering safety talks at senior centers; and  sponsoring CarFit events. According to the Florida Department of  Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, a total of 75 training programs and  outreach events were conducted under the GrandDriver program  between 2000 and 2006.
California—through its Older Californian Traffic Safety Task Force— annually holds a “Senior Safe Mobility Summit” that brings subject- matter experts and recognized leaders together to discuss issues and  heighten public understanding of long-term commitments needed to  help older adults drive safely longer.
Assessment/licensing—Assessment and licensing initiatives are concerned  with developing better means for stakeholders—license administrators,  medical professionals, law enforcement officers, family members—to  determine driver fitness and provide remedial assistance to help older  people remain safe while driving.
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles is continuing to develop a  progressive “three-tier” system for determining drivers’ wellness— through nondriving assessments in the first two tiers—and estimating  driving fitness in a third-tier road test designed to assess the driver’s  ability to compensate for driving-relevant functional limitations identified in the first two tiers. The system, currently being tested at  limited locations, is being developed to keep people driving safely for as  long as possible by providing a basis for a conditional licensing program  that can aid drivers in improving their driving-relevant functioning and  in adequately compensating for their limitations.
Oregon requires physicians and other designated medical providers to  report drivers with severe and uncontrollable cognitive or functional  impairments that affect the person’s ability to drive safely. Oregon  Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (ODMVS) evaluates each report and  determines if immediate suspension of driving privileges is necessary. A  person whose driving privileges have been suspended needs to obtain  medical clearance and pass ODMVS vision, knowledge, and road tests in  order to have his or her driving privileges reinstated. In cases where  driving privileges are not immediately suspended, people will normally  be given between 30 and 60 days to pass ODMVS tests or provide  medical evidence indicating that the reported condition does not  present a risk to their safe driving.
Maryland was the first state to establish a Medical Advisory Board  (MAB)—created by state legislation in 1947—which is currently one of  the most active boards in the United States. Maryland’s MAB manages  approximately 6000 cases per year—most involving older drivers.  Drivers are referred from a number of sources—including physicians,  law enforcement officers, friends, and relatives—and the MAB reviews  screening results, physician reports, and driving records among other  information to determine driving fitness. The MAB’s opinion is then  considered by Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration in making  licensing decisions.
The Iowa Department of Motor Vehicles can issue older drivers  restricted licenses that limit driving to daylight hours, specific  geographic areas, or low-speed roads. Restricted licensing, also referred  to as “graduated de-licensing,” seeks to preserve the driver’s mobility  while protecting the health of the driver, passengers, and others on the  road by limiting driving to low risk situations. About 9,000 older drivers  in Iowa have restricted licenses. Iowa license examiners may travel to  test older drivers in their home towns, where they feel most comfortable  driving.
Engineering—Road design elements such as those recommended by  FHWA are implemented to provide a driving environment that  accommodates older drivers’ needs.
A demonstration program in Michigan, funded through state, county,  and local government agencies, along with AAA Michigan, made low- cost improvements at over 300 high-risk, urban, signalized intersections  in the Detroit area. An evaluation of 30 of these intersections indicated  that the injury rate for older drivers was reduced by more than twice as  much as for drivers aged 25 to 64 years. The next phase of the program  is development of a municipal tool kit for intersection safety, for use by  municipal leaders and planners, to provide a template for implementing  needed changes within their jurisdictions.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) has undertaken several  initiatives in road operations, maintenance, and new construction to  enhance the driving environment for older drivers. Among its several  initiatives, IDOT is  using more durable pavement markings on selected roads and  servicing all pavement markings on a performance-based schedule to  maintain their brightness, adding paved shoulders with the edge line painted in a shoulder  rumble strip to increase visibility and alert drivers when their  vehicles stray from the travel lane,  converting 4-lane undivided roads to 3-lane roads with a dedicated  left-turn lane to simplify turning movements, encouraging the use of more dedicated left turn indications (arrows)  on traffic signals on high-speed roads,  installing larger street name signs,  replacing warning signs with ones that have a fluorescent yellow  background to increase visibility,   converting to Clearview fonts on Interstate signs for increased sign   demonstrating older driver and pedestrian-friendly enhancements on  a roadway corridor in Des Moines, and   promoting local implementation of roadway improvements to benefit  older drivers by providing training to city and county engineers and  planners.
The Transportation Safety Work Group of the Older Californian Traffic  Safety Task Force provided engineering support in updating California’s  highway design and traffic control manuals to incorporate FHWA’s  recommended practices for making travel safer and easier for older  drivers. Technical experts from the work group coordinated with the  Caltrans design office in reviewing the Caltrans Highway Design  Manual and updating elements related to older driver safety.  Additionally, the work group managed an expedited process to have the  California Traffic Control Devices Committee consider and approve  modifications to signing and pavement marking standards in the  California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices that benefit  older drivers.
Data analysis—Developing tools to accurately capture accident data  enables trends to be identified and resources to be directed to remediating  problems.
Iowa has a comprehensive data system that connects information from  multiple sources, including law enforcement records (crash reports,  traffic citations, truck inspection records) and driver license and  registration databases, and can be easily accessed. For example, the  system allows law enforcement officers to electronically access a  person’s driving record and license information at a crash scene and  enter their crash reports into the data system on-scene. Data captured  through this process—including the location of all crashes—is less  prone to error and can be geographically referenced to identify safety  issues. In the case of older driver safety, several universities are utilizing  Iowa crash data in research efforts. For example, University of Northern  Iowa researchers utilized crash data and geospatial analysis to  demonstrate how older driver crash locations could be identified and  how roadway elements could be subsequently modified to improve  safety for older drivers. University of Iowa researchers have used the  data in behavioral research to study actions of older drivers and learn  where changes in roadway geometrics, signing, or other roadway  elements could assist older drivers with their driving tasks. Also, Iowa  State University’s Center for Transportation Research and Education  (CTRE) has used the data to study a number of older driver crash  characteristics and supports other older driver data analysis research  projects with the Iowa Traffic Safety Data Service.
Florida is developing a Mature Driver Database (MDDB) that will collect  several types of data—vision renewal data, crash data, medical review  data—to be accessible through the Department of Highway Safety and  Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) Web site. According to DHSMV officials, this  database is intended to be used across agencies to facilitate strategic  planning. DHSMV may use the database, for example, to track driver  performance on screenings and analyze the effectiveness of screening  methods. Planned MDDB enhancements include providing links to  additional data sources such as census and insurance databases.
section_title: Conclusion
paragraphs: Older driver safety is not a high-priority issue in most states and, therefore,  receives fewer resources than other safety concerns. However, the aging of  the American population suggests that older driver safety issues will  become more prominent in the future. Some states—with federal  support—have adopted practices to improve the driving environment for  older road users and have implemented assessment practices to support  licensing requirements for older drivers that are more stringent than  requirements for younger drivers. However, information on the  effectiveness of these practices is limited, and states have been reluctant to  commit resources to initiatives whose effectiveness has not been clearly  demonstrated. Some states have also implemented additional initiatives to  improve older driver safety, such as establishing coordination groups  involving a broad range of stakeholders and developing initiatives in the  areas of strategic planning, education and outreach, assessment and  licensing practices, engineering, and data analysis. NHTSA and FHWA also  have important roles to play in promoting older driver safety, including  conducting and supporting research on standards for the driving  environment and on driver fitness assessment. While states hold differing  views on the importance of older driver safety and have adopted varying  practices to address older driver safety issues, it is clear that there are  steps that states can take to prepare for the anticipated increase in the  older driver population and simultaneously improve safety for all drivers.  However, state resources are limited, so information on other states’  initiatives or federal efforts to develop standards for the driving  environment and on driver fitness assessment practices could assist states  in implementing improvements for older driver safety.
section_title: Recommendation for Executive Action
paragraphs: To help states prepare for the substantial increase in the number of older  drivers in the coming years, we recommend that the Secretary of  Transportation direct the FHWA and NHTSA Administrators to implement  a mechanism that would allow states to share information on leading  practices for enhancing the safety of older drivers. This mechanism could  also include information on other initiatives and guidance, such as FHWA’s  research on the effectiveness of road design practices and NHTSA’s  research on the effectiveness of driver fitness assessment practices.
section_title: Agency Comments and Our Evaluation
paragraphs: We provided a draft of this report to the Department of Health and Human  Services and to the Department of Transportation for review and comment.  The Department of Health and Human Services agreed with the report and  offered technical suggestions which we have incorporated, as appropriate.  (See app. III for the Department of Health and Human Services’ written  comments.) The Department of Transportation did not offer overall  comments on the report or its recommendation. The department did offer  several technical comments, which we incorporated where appropriate.
We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional  committees. We are also sending copies of this report to the Secretary of  Transportation and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. We also  will make copies available to others upon request. In addition, the report  will be available at no charge on the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov.
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me  at (202) 512-2834 or siggerudk@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of  Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page  of this report. GAO staff who made major contributions to this report are  listed in appendix IV.
section_title: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
paragraphs: This report addresses (1) what the federal government has done to  promote practices to make roads safer for older drivers and the extent to  which states have implemented those practices, (2) the extent to which  states assess the fitness of older drivers and what support the federal  government has provided, and (3) what initiatives selected states have  implemented to improve the safety of older drivers.
To determine what the federal government has done to promote practices  to make roads safer for older drivers, we interviewed officials from the  Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) within the U.S. Department of  Transportation (DOT) and the American Association of State and Highway  Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and reviewed manuals and other  documentation to determine what road design standards and guidelines  have been established, the basis for their establishment, and how they have  been promoted. We also reviewed research and interviewed a  representative of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program  (NCHRP) to gain perspective on federal initiatives to improve the driving  environment for older drivers. Finally, to determine trends in accidents  involving older drivers, we reviewed and analyzed crash data from the U.S.  DOT’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database and General Estimates  System database.
To obtain information on the extent to which states are implementing these  practices, we surveyed and received responses from DOTs in each of the 50  states and the District of Columbia. We consulted with NCHRP, FHWA, and  AASHTO in developing the survey. The survey was conducted from the end  of September 2006 through mid-January 2007. During this time period, we  sent two waves of follow-up questionnaires to nonrespondents in addition  to the initial mailing. We also made phone calls and sent e-mails to a few  states to remind them to return the questionnaire. We surveyed state DOTs  to learn the extent to which they have incorporated federal government  recommendations on road design elements into their own design guides  and implemented selected recommendations in their construction,  operations, and maintenance activities. We also identified reasons for state  DOTs rejecting recommendations and determined the proportion of  practitioners that were trained in each state to implement  recommendations. In addition, we asked state DOTs to evaluate the extent  to which they have developed plans (defined in Strategic Highway Safety  Plans) and programmed projects (listed in Statewide Transportation  Improvement Programs) for older driver safety as provided for by  SAFETEA-LU legislation.
Before fielding the questionnaire, we reviewed the Safe, Accountable,  Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users  (SAFETEA-LU) and prior highway legislation to identify the framework for  states to develop and implement older driver safety programs. Additionally,  we conducted separate in-person pretests with officials from three state  DOTs and revised our instrument as a result of the information obtained  during those pretests. We took steps in developing the questionnaire and in  collecting and analyzing the data to minimize errors that could occur  during those stages of the survey process. A copy of the questionnaire and  detailed survey results are available at www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO- 07-517SP.
To determine the extent to which states assess the fitness of older drivers  and what support the federal government has provided, we interviewed  officials and reviewed relevant documents from the National Highway  Traffic Safety Administration within the U.S. DOT, the National Institute on  Aging and the Administration on Aging within the U.S. Department of  Health and Human Services, and the American Association of Motor  Vehicle Administrators—a nongovernmental organization that represents  state driver licensing agencies. We determined the extent to which the  guidelines and model programs of these agencies addressed the visual,  physical, and cognitive deficits that may afflict older drivers. We also  reviewed federal, state, and nongovernmental Web sites that contained  information on states’ older driver licensing practices and analyzed their  content so that we could compare practices across states. To obtain  information on the activities of partner nongovernmental organizations in  researching and promoting practices to assess older driver fitness, among  other initiatives, we interviewed officials from AAA, AARP, the Insurance  Institute for Highway Safety, and the Governors Highway Safety  Association. To learn of states’ legislative initiatives concerning driver  fitness assessment and licensing, we interviewed a representative of the  National Conference of State Legislatures. We also interviewed officials  from departments of motor vehicles in select states to report on their  efforts in developing, implementing, and evaluating older driver screening  and licensing programs.
To obtain information on initiatives that selected states have implemented,  we conducted case studies in six states—California, Florida, Iowa,  Maryland, Michigan, and Oregon—that transportation experts identified as  progressive in their efforts to improve older driver safety. We chose our  case study states based on input from an NCHRP report highlighting states  with leading practices in the areas of:  education/awareness,  assessment/licensing, engineering, agency coordination, strategic planning  and data analysis. We compared practices across the six states to identify  common themes. We also identified and determined, to the extent possible,  key practices based on our analysis.
The scope of our work focused on older driver safety. Prior GAO work  addressed the associated issue of senior mobility for those who do not  drive. We conducted our review from April 2006 through April 2007 in  accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. We  requested official comments on this report from the U.S. Department of  Transportation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
section_title: States’ Licensing Requirements for Older Drivers
paragraphs: Tables 5 through 7 list older driver licensing requirements in effect in  certain states.
section_title: Comments from Department of Health and Human Services
section_title: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
subsections: section_title: GAO Contact
section_title: Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: In addition to the individual named above, Sara Vermillion, Assistant  Director; Michael Armes; Sandra DePaulis; Elizabeth Eisenstadt; Joel  Grossman; Bert Japikse; Leslie Locke; Megan Millenky; Joshua Ormond;  and Beverly Ross made key contributions to this report.