AAA offers online tool for senior drivers

Roadwise Review allows seniors to check their driving skills conveniently and confidentially. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently launched a free, online version of AAA’s Roadwise Review, a tool designed to help seniors confidentially assess their driving health in the privacy of their homes.

Roadwise Review has been available on cd-rom.

“Our goal is to make Roadwise Review available to as many seniors, caregivers and family members as possible,” said Jennifer Cook, public relations manager for AAA Washington. “Roadwise Review allows seniors to check their driving skills conveniently and confidentially – something that is vitally important as we age.”

Roadwise Review measures physical and mental abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers and provides confidential feedback to guide the user about their ability to drive safely.

Using videos and easy-to-follow instructions, Roadwise Review screens drivers in eight functional areas:

• Leg strength and mobility which is necessary to control acceleration and braking.

• Head and neck flexibility for checking blind spots during lane changes or merging.

• High contrast visual acuity, needed to identify pavement markings and hazards on or near the road.

• Low visual acuity, vital for driving in low visibility conditions such as dusk, rain or fog.

• Working memory is important in following directions, remembering traffic rules and regulations, and using information on highway guide signs.

• Visualization of missing information helps a driver recognize hazards even when partially hidden from view.

• Visual search measures the ability to quickly find and recognize traffic signs and landmarks.

• Useful field of view ensures drivers can pay attention to what is happening right in front of them while also noticing safety threats at the edge of their field of view.

“AAA is dedicated to keeping seniors driving for as long as safely possible and mobile thereafter,” Cook said.

“Roadwise Review is just one of many free online tools and resources available at www.AAASeniors.com to assist older drivers and their families.”

People age 65 and older represent the fastest growing segment of the country’s population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in five people will be age 65 or older by 2030, with an estimated 90 percent licensed to drive. Second only to teenagers, seniors have the highest crash death rate per mile driven due to their age-related fragility.

Roadwise Review was developed based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Institute on Aging sponsored research that indicates individuals who exceed measured levels of decline in key safe driving predictors are two to five times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash.

To learn more about or try Roadwise Review, visit www.SeniorDrivers.org.

Driver safety at SVH

A two-session program, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Feb. 1 and 2 at San Juan A/B Skagit Valley Hospital for people older than 50 is designed to enhance the driving skills of the mature adult. Insurance companies are required to give a discount on auto insurance for those over age 55 who complete the course. Course fee is $12 for AARP members; $14 for non-members. Please bring check payable to AARP and AARP card or number to the first class – do not mail check. Pre-registration is required.

For information and to register for the above classes, call Skagit Valley Hospital at 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481.