Diane Wigle

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• Diane Wigle
• Chief, Safety Countermeasures Division

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
World Traffic Safety Symposium New York
International Automobile Show
March 28, 2008
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Change in Demographics
Population Pyramids of United States Percent of
Total Population
2000
2020
Male
Male
Female
Female
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Strategies to Address Older Driver Safety

• Communications Outreach
• Licensing
• Traffic Law Enforcement

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Educate and Train Drivers and Those Around Them
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Help Drivers Adapt to Functional Limitations
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Identify Drivers Who Cannot Drive Safely

• Starts with families, physicians, and older
  drivers themselves
• California three-tier program
• Working to improve scientific basis behind
  licensing decisions
• Establish or improve State Medical Advisory
  Boards (MABs)
• License renewal policies
• Cant rest solely on licensing because they only
  see drivers once each year at best, or in some
  cases, never unless they are referred

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Increase Seat Belt Use

• Older people are more prone to severe injuries or
  death than younger people
• Preventing injuries from crashes can improve the
  odds for survival
• Seat belts are the most effective tool for
  preventing injuries
• Role of law enforcement is critical here Click
  It or Ticket applies to everyone.
• Caregivers who are transporting older people as
  passengers need to ensure seat belts are used on
  every trip.

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NHTSA Partners
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Developing New Strategies

• NHTSA has a long history of exploring ways to
  improve older driver safety
• Among other things, we are looking at
• Determining Fitness-to-Drive in Early Stage
  Dementia
• Evaluating and Rehabilitating Driving Skills
• Evaluating Safety Outcomes of Different Licensing
  Policies and Procedures

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Summary

• Application of strategies to save lives and
  prevent injuries does not rest with any single
  group
• We need to
• i. Educate and train drivers and those around
  them
• ii. Help drivers adapt to functional
  limitations
• iii. Identify drivers who cannot drive safely
• iv. Increase seat belt use and
• v. Keep looking for ways to improve what we
  have.
• If all people that influence older driver safety
  play their roles (families, physicians, DMVs, law
  enforcement, and older drivers themselves), we
  wont see the increases in fatalities that we
  fear.

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www.nhtsa.gov