AAA
offers first
home-based tool to help seniors drive safely longer...Driver
screening tool based on most effective predictors of crash
risk
BURNSVILLE, Minn., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/
-- Just as you can screen for high cholesterol or high blood
pressure, AAA today introduced a first-of-its kind scientifically
valid tool designed to help seniors screen for their driving health
in the privacy of their homes. Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help
Seniors Drive Safely Longer, is a CD-ROM that measures eight
physical and mental abilities shown to be the strongest predictors
of crash risk among older drivers and provides feedback to guide the
user's decision about their ability to drive safely.
"As we age, we experience
physiological changes which could affect our driving and there are
steps you can take to keep driving safely longer," said Jeff Ogden,
president of AAA Minnesota/Iowa. "We are confident Roadwise has the
potential to have a major impact on traffic safety and, more
importantly, on the safety of our loved ones."
People over 65 are the
fastest-growing population in the United States and by 2020, there
will be more than 40 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older.
Because of their fragility, seniors have the highest crash death
rate per mile of everyone except teenagers. At the same time, a
recent AAA survey of more than 1,000 seniors showed that next to
financial security and the cost of affordable health care, seniors
are most concerned about their continued mobility in the future. The
survey also indicated that nearly 90 percent of those polled said
they currently drive on a daily basis.
Based on research sponsored by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National
Institute on Aging indicating that 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, AAA
worked closely with scientists at TransAnalytics, a leading
transportation safety research organization, to create a tool that
is both state-of-the-art and user-friendly.
"In our extensive focus group
testing throughout the United States, senior drivers viewed the
program as simple, clear, valuable and even fun to use," Ogden said.
"Many said they would follow through with the program
recommendations because it would extend their safe driving years, as
well as help keep themselves and their loved ones safe."
Using videos and easy-to-follow
instructions, Roadwise screens drivers in eight functional areas:
-- Leg Strength and General
Mobility - necessary to control acceleration
and braking.
-- Head/Neck Flexibility -
essential in checking blind spots, lane
changes or merging.
-- High Contrast Visual Acuity
- needed to identify pavement markings, as
well as detect many types of
hazards in or near the road.
-- Low Visual Acuity - vital
for driving in low visibility conditions
such as dusk, rain or fog.
-- Working Memory - 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 seeing
only part of the picture.
-- Visual Search - safe driving
requires 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.
Roadwise uses an integrated data
system that reports and provides users with confidential feedback
about screening results and its CD-ROM format is compatible with
most home computers.
AAA Minnesota/Iowa, which includes
more than 700,000 members, offers automotive, travel, insurance and
financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the
largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million
members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA
federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 45 million
members in the United States and Canada.