TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 348: Improving the Safety of Older Road Users examines programs and policies in place across the country to improve the safety and mobility of older road users. The report documents a range of strategies and related programs under way in roadway engineering, driver licensing, public information and education, and enforcement and adjudication.

Explores the mobility and safety needs of older persons. The report examines safety needs of the older person in traffic; reviews potential measures to improve highways, vehicles, driver and pedestrian performance, and alternatives to the private automobile; and assesses public policy questions about costs, the tradeoffs between safety and mobility objectives, and the sometimes conflicting needs of individuals, different age groups, and the public generally. The report also identifies areas for future research and includes recommendations for improvements in highway conditions, vehicle design, licensing, testing, education activities, and transportation alternatives. The report was published in two volumes. Volume 1 contains an overview of the issues and the committee's recommendations; Volume 2 contains the technical papers prepared for the study.

As people age, their physical, visual, & 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. This report examined: (1) what the fed. gov¿t. has done to promote practices to make roads safer for older drivers & the extent to which states have implemented those practices; (2) the extent to which states assess the fitness of older drivers & what support the fed. gov¿t. has provided; & (3) what initiatives selected states have implemented to improve the safety of older drivers. Includes recommendations. Illustrations.

By 2030, 20 percent of the world's drivers, 60 million in all, will be over the age of 65. Consequently, safe and efficient mobility for older adults is a complex and pressing issue. Maintaining Safe Mobility in an Aging Society addresses the complexities surrounding the booming number of aging drivers and practical solutions for sustaining safe tr