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New Self-Assessment Tool Helps Senior Drivers Stay Safe

You probably have not taken a driving test since you were a teenager and you may not have thought about your ability to pass such a test since then.

While you know and abide by the rules of the road, ask yourself these questions:

Do I sometimes squint to read road signs?
Is my response time sufficient for most traffic situations or have I had a few "close calls?"
Do I combine mirrors and visual checks to change lanes or reverse or do I go out of my way to avoid twisting my neck and back?

Now we have a new tool to help senior drivers assess their own driving habits in the privacy of their own home. It's an easy-to-use computer program called Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Senior Drivers Drive Safely Longer. The program allows older drivers to test certain mental and physical abilities, which allows them to determine any changes they may need to make in their driving habits. It offers tips for brushing up on skills that may have grown a bit rusty and, if necessary, identifies and offers guidance to address more serious issues. The Auto Club suggests that the course be used annually to catch and correct any potential issue before it becomes a problem.

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AAA Roadwise Review^TM is a computer-based self-assessment tool that measures the eight functional abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of collision risk among senior drivers.

Learn More

Members can access Roadwise Review online for free (PC only) or they can purchase the disk for only $5 ($15 for nonmembers) at any Auto Club office. The Auto Club is providing copies of Roadwise to city and county libraries and senior centers free of charge.

Through a series of explanatory video segments and interactive measures, AAA Roadwise Review guides users through the program. Working with a partner, users can progress at their own pace, repeating the instructions and pausing the program as needed.

Assessments measure the user's ability to see in low light and scan across a field of view. Also checked are visual acuity, flexibility and other skills proven to be the leading predictors of crash risk among older drivers. In addition, the program offers information on how to improve or compensate for functional abilities that tend to decline with age. Users are encouraged to repeat the review periodically, recording their results for easy comparison over time.

Even drivers with years of experience can benefit from a periodic review of their driving skills, particularly as vision and flexibility levels change. Many times, drivers adopt self-imposed solutions — avoiding lane changes, steering clear of night driving, and parking away from other vehicles — to reduce their risk. Drivers are understandably hesitant to voice their doubts or introduce restrictions that could lessen their freedom of mobility.

The good news is that, once identified, many driver-safety issues related to physiological changes can be addressed so drivers can continue to drive safely. Recent scientific research shows that specialized training can actually help improve some of the cognitive and physical declines associated with aging. Solutions may range from stronger prescription eyeglasses, to consultation with a physician for flexibility or memory exercises.

It's been nearly two years since we launched our Senior Mobility Program, designed to help mature drivers stay on the road as long as it's safely possible. Since that time, we have provided safe-driving brochures to senior drivers, made presentations to senior organizations, joined a statewide coalition to improve traffic safety for older adults and supported efforts to obtain federal funding for traffic safety improvements — including larger letters on road signs and more visible pavement markings.

The Auto Club is committed to helping drivers stay driving for as long as is safely possible. As part of our "Lifelong Safe Mobility" initiative, the Auto Club is working to help the growing number of mature members enjoy local and long-distance road travel as part of their active lifestyles. Key to this effort is helping all drivers know and understand their capabilities and challenges behind the wheel.

Members can purchase the program for only $5 ($15 for nonmembers) at any Auto Club office. The Auto Club is providing copies of Roadwise to city and county libraries and senior centers free of charge.