The title of this PACTS report ‘It’s my choice’ reflects the main theme : helping older people to help themselves, so that they can make better, safer, well-informed choices. The conclusions and policy recommendations reached in the report do not seek to restrict or impose strict regulation, but rather to encourage and support older people. In the safe systems approach the aim is to design a system where inevitable errors of judgement do not result in death or serious injury. Responsibility for keeping users safe even when they make mistakes is shared amongst the designers, builders and providers of the system. Therefore, in order for older people to be safer, the public realm, infrastructure for motoring and public transport, and vehicles should all be designed to pose as low a risk as reasonably practicable on older users. Older people themselves should also be supported and encouraged to keep themselves as safe as possible, by raising awareness and providing clear, evidence-based information. (Author/publisher)
Abstract