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TRA Resources for Older Drivers

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Our sincere thanks to Dr. Kathleen Golisz, OTD, OTR, FAOTA, Professor and Interim Dean, Mercy College School of Health and Natural Sciences, Dobbs Ferry Campus, for her work on these resources, provided to the Older Driver Coalition/Transportation Collaborative of Westchester County Livable Communities.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has a variety of resources for senior drivers – some of which are free for AAA members. They provide access to the RoadWise Review (a self-assessment of driving skills for older drivers) and a senior driving website devoted to educating senior drivers.  AAA has an interactive tool called RoadWise Rx that allows users to see if their medications may interfere with the task of driving.

The Alzheimer’s Association has information posted on their website for both health professionals and caregivers including research on when to recommend driving cessation, frequency of assessment, and common indications that driving should be stopped.

The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) website has a variety of resources for older drivers.

The American Medical Association publishes the Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers. The document supports and encourages physician referral to driving rehabilitation specialists and occupational therapist for comprehensive evaluation of the cognitive, visual, and physical skills needed to safely drive. Some of the patient and caregiver educational information in the appendices can also be printed out separately for clients.

The American Occupational Therapy Association older driver website compiles resources for occupational therapists and other professionals interested in the topic of driving. There is also a section for consumers and caregivers.

The Association for Driving Rehabilitation Specialists supports professionals working in the field of driver education / driver training and transportation equipment modifications for persons with disabilities through education and information dissemination. Their website also maintains a database of driver rehabilitation specialists that can be searched by geographic areas.

The CTAA or Community Transportation Association focuses on senior transportation and community-based support for older adults. Their website has resources for consumers, professionals, and policy makers.

gogoGrandParent.com is an online service available in parts of the United States and Canada that will monitor and customize on demand services like Uber and Lyft for older audiences and their families.  In addition to the cost of the ride, gogoGrandParent charges by the minute from when they start monitoring a service to when they stop.

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., the MIT Age Lab and Connecticut Community Care, Inc., have developed a guide to help families maximize the independence of the person with dementia while at the same time minimize the risk of driving accidents. This guide provides practical tools for every stage of the process based on the experiences of family caregivers and people with dementia, as well as suggestions from experts in medicine, gerontology and transportation.

The National Volunteer Caregiving Network is a coalition of caregiving communities throughout the nation. TRA is a member organization.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a portion of their website devoted to older driver safety. They also have several older driver information booklets in PDF format that can be printed for distribution to drivers. NHTSA also supplies copies of the comprehensive DriveWell Program which is designed to:

  • Promote community conversations that can lead to increased driver safety and more transportation choices for adults ages 65 and older;
  • Encourage older drivers to change when and how they drive;
  • Prompt older adults to use alternative forms of transportation
  • Stimulate communities to assess the need for and, if needed, offer transportation choices more responsive to the needs of older adults.

Planning for Driving Retirement: A Guide to Transportation Options for Older Adults. Prepared by the Older Driver Coalition of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs & Services and the Westchester County Department of Public Works & Transportation.

The TRB Safe Mobility for Older Persons Committee’s purpose is to stimulate quality research and evaluation and to provide a forum for interested researchers and practitioners to disseminate research and related information to those involved and interested in improving the safety and mobility of older drivers.

Rides In Sight provides information about senior transportation options in local communities throughout the United States.  Managed by ITNAmerica, the hotline and online database are available to the public at no charge. Friendly and knowledgeable service representatives will answer your questions about senior transportation through the Rides In Sight hotline (1-855-60-RIDES) Monday-Friday 8AM-8PM Eastern Time.  If you need more information, a service representative will call you back within 24 hours.

Us Aging, formerly the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, has a portion of their website devoted to promoting older driver safety awareness, education, and practices at the community level.

VIS Volunteers Insurance  provides insurance and risk management services for volunteer-based organizations, as well as resources to help members manage their risks and improve their operations.  Business partnerships allow members to save time and cost in purchasing non-insurance products and services they need. 

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