The increase in the older population as well as its increased frailty has led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct research initiatives examining the safety and mobility of older adults. Although older adults are struck less frequently than children, they are more likely to die after being struck due to frailty or physical complications. With that in mind, NHTSA is interested in developing effective countermeasure strategies that can be strategically targeted towards the prevention and mitigation of crashes involving older pedestrians. The objective of this project was to identify appropriate countermeasures that will reduce older pedestrians’ exposure to injuries and fatal crashes. This involved exploring countermeasures within the area of transportation as well as in other fields such as public health and education with the intention of identifying strategies that can be implemented to increase older pedestrian safety. Additionally, experts in the fields of aging, occupational therapy, transportation safety, traffic engineering, aging and ophthalmology, gerontology, and older pedestrian safety were contacted. These individuals provided contextual information to help explain the dynamics behind older adults’ involvement in pedestrian crashes as well as insights into what strategies might be effective in communicating with older adults to effect change in their walking behavior. This background research was intended to identify strategies used in disseminating information to older populations as well as strategies used to effect change in the behavior of older adults. This report is a review of key literature from the public health, education, and transportation fields that may provide insights on how to develop future programs targeting older pedestrians. (Author/publisher)
Abstract