New Study to Examine Needs of the Older Driver

As teenagers, when we first passed our driver’s exams and got the keys to the family car, we stepped into our first taste of adult independence. For senior drivers, being able to drive can also be associated with independence. Despite this, there has been a dearth of research on the older driver.

This, however, is changing, with AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s recent announcement that it will be investing $12 million into a study directed towards assessing the needs of the older driver.

The money will go toward the final phase of AAA Foundation’s Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) project. Three thousand senior drivers will be recruited to take part in the study in California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan and New York. Participants will be tracked via GPS in order to enable researchers to analyze real-time traffic patterns.

In addition to assessment of driving maneuvers, the data will also let researchers track when and where the participants drive. In order to participate in the study, subjects must also agree to yearly medical examinations where their physical and cognitive abilities will be assessed.

Currently, most research on driving focuses on teen drivers, who are at higher risk of being involved in crashes. Often doctors and family members encourage older drivers to stop driving based solely on anecdotal evidence. Researchers hope the data collected over the five-year course of the LongROAD project will provide much needed information about driving-related factors such as the impact of medication and the effect of new technologies on the safety of older drivers.

After a car accident, an experienced attorney is one of the few people who will advocate for your best interests. Robert Greening is the principal attorney at Greening Law, P.C. He has dedicated his 24 years of practice to the litigation of wrongful death and serious injury cases. If you have any questions, contact Greening Law, P.C. at 972-934-8900.