There has been an increasing awareness in the United States of the special highway and motor vehicle safety needs of the older population. One manifestation of this is the recently completed study of this issue performed by the National Academy of Science (NAS) in response to a Congressional request. As the agency responsible for motor vehicle safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has begun to implement the findings of the NAS study as part of an overall plan for improving the safety and mobility of older persons. There has also been increased activity in other federal and state agencies and in the private sector to address these problems. This paper presents the progress being made by NHTSA in implementing its Traffic Safety Plan for Older Persons and an overview of other activities being undertaken throughout the United States to deal with these issues. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference, see IRRD 837684.
Abstract