As people age, their physical, visual, and cognitive abilities may decline, making it more difficult for them to drive safely. Older drivers are also more likely to suffer injuries or die in crashes than drivers in other age groups (see fig.). These safety issues will increase in significance because older adults represent the fastest-growing U.S. population segment. GAO examined (1) what the federal government has done to promote practices to make roads safer for older drivers and the extent to which states have implemented those practices, (2) the extent to which states assess the fitness of older drivers and what support the federal government has provided, and (3) what initiatives selected states have implemented to improve the safety of older drivers. To conduct this study, GAO surveyed 51 state departments of transportation (DOT), visited six states, and interviewed federal transportation officials. Conclusion of this report is that older driver safety is not a high-priority issue in most states and, therefore, receives fewer resources than other safety concerns. However, the aging of the American population suggests that older driver safety issues will become more prominent in the future. Some states—with federal support—have adopted practices to improve the driving environment for older road users and have implemented assessment practices to support licensing requirements for older drivers that are more stringent than requirements for younger drivers. However, information on the effectiveness of these practices is limited, and states have been reluctant to commit resources to initiatives whose effectiveness has not been clearly demonstrated. Some states have also implemented additional initiatives to improve older driver safety, such as establishing coordination groups involving a broad range of stakeholders and developing initiatives in the areas of strategic planning, education and outreach, assessment and licensing practices, engineering, and data analysis. NHTSA and FHWA also have important roles to play in promoting older driver safety, including conducting and supporting research on standards for the driving environment and on driver fitness assessment. While states hold differing views on the importance of older driver safety and have adopted varying practices to address older driver safety issues, it is clear that there are steps that states can take to prepare for the anticipated increase in the older driver population and simultaneously improve safety for all drivers. However, state resources are limited, so information on other states’ initiatives or federal efforts to develop standards for the driving environment and on driver fitness assessment practices could assist states in implementing improvements for older driver safety. (Author/publisher) To view the e-supplement `Older driver safety : survey of states on their implementation of Federal Highway Administration Recommendations and Guidelines' (GAO-07-517SP), click on http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-517SP.
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