Keeping Senior Drivers Safe Requires Better Public Transit

As part of its Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that older drivers prepare a "transportation plan" to reduce their driving and decrease their risk of traffic accidents. But for many Americans living in car-dependent areas, this is more easily said than done.

While the NHTSA offers suggestions such as adaptive equipment, the agency fails to address the gaps in public transit infrastructure that keep many seniors dependent on their car for basic needs. "That’s a serious problem for a population group that has the single highest rate of fatal car crashes per mile, and who are more likely to be involved in multi-car crashes rather than single-vehicle impacts that harm only themselves," writes Kea Wilson of Streetsblog USA. In 2018, 19% of traffic fatalities were people over 65.

Although a third of Americans over 60 say that they have a disability that makes driving difficult, an overwhelming majority of them still drive their vehicles. With fatalities involving elderly drivers and pedestrian deaths soaring, increasing the availability and convenience of public transportation for car-dependent seniors is an important part of improving traffic safety for all age groups.