This report, Volume I, provides an overview, giving some background of older driver crash and injury risk in Australasia, the impact of age-related changes on driving, and the contribution of road design to older driver crashes. In conjunction with this, the Handbook of suggested changes is also provided as a separate report (Volume II). The Handbook is intended as a guide for road designers and traffic engineers to raise awareness of the difficulties of older drivers face while driving and to provide a range of suggestions for change to road design that can alleviate some of the problems older drivers experience. In summary, while current design features are unlikely to be the only cause of many older driver crashes, design changes to create a more forgiving road environment will have substantial road safety benefits. Moreover, as the population ages and becomes more mobile, it will become increasingly important to design roads that will accommodate the needs as capabilities of older road users. It should also be noted that a safer road environment for older road users also means a safer road environment for all-aged road users. (Author/publisher)
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