OLDER drivers get a lot of bad press. Mostly it’s undeserved.
RoadSafe Westgate Community Road Safety Council Older Drivers Program Co-ordinator Leigh Hardinge said senior drivers have a lower crash rate than young drivers, are responsible as a group, and are rarely involved in drink-driving or excessive speeding.
The down side is that if older drivers are involved in a crash, they are much more likely to suffer serious injuries.
This is because, as people age, they become more frail.
The majority of crashes involving older drivers happen at intersections.This is mainly because intersections can be quite complicated.
Drivers have to look out for vehicles making right turns in front of them; vehicles coming from both sides; as well as keeping an eye out for pedestrians and cyclists.
A complication is that older peoples’ eyesight is not as good as it used to be – it’s more difficult to tell how fast a car is approaching and how far away it is.
Nobody wants to take older drivers off the roads. Many people in our community rely on older drivers being involved in voluntary work, looking after grandchildren, and being customers of our local businesses.
Maybe older drivers aren’t quite as fast off the mark as they used to be. But they do have a lot of driving experience – that’s one of the reasons they are not big contributors to the road toll.
There are a few obvious things that senior drivers can do to be even safer:
– Drive when the roads are not so busy – avoid peak times if possible;
– Avoid driving at night and in wet weather;
– It’s worth going a block or two out of your way to cross a busy road on a road with traffic lights;
– Avoid right turns – or try to turn right at traffic lights with green arrows; and
– Just because many older drivers don’t drive as far as they used to doesn’t mean that maintenance isn’t important – get lights, tyres, brakes, windshield wipers and windscreen washers checked out regularly.
RoadSafe Westgate Community Road Safety Council is an advocacy group that implements road safety programs in the municipalities of Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton and Wyndham.
One of these is the Senior Drivers Expo Days a free and confidential seminar for senior drivers conducted at Altona Civic Centre.
Topics covered include health and driving; medicines and driving; road law update; free roadworthy check on your car; and free driving assessment on a closed circuit.
Bookings for the next Senior Driver Expo on 4 May are essential.
Call Leigh on 9315 9464 to secure a place.
RoadSafe Westgate also promotes the RACV Years Ahead older drivers road safety awareness sessions.
For more information on this and other programs for older drivers contact the council’s secretary Mike Hull on 9932 1129 during business hours.
