AAA Northeast has created an online resource called Key Timing to provide older drivers and their caregivers helpful guidance to prepare for driving retirement. Available at AAA.com/KeyTiming, the site contains an e-learning module so caregivers (often the adult children or a family member) can prepare to address a conversation about driving cessation or future mobility planning. This resource includes state specific information on driver evaluation for those seeking to assess a driver’s true abilities behind the wheel, general driving assessment tools, state specific transportation resources, a downloadable workbook to assist in the development of a mobility plan, data and statistics about senior driving, and advice for caregivers should they need to initiate a conversation about driving retirement.
Driving becomes more challenging as we age due to physical and neurological changes. Estimates predict that by 2030 the number of citizens aged 65 and older in the United States will more than double and in Rhode Island, the percent of residents age 65 and older will increase to 23% of the state’s population representing almost 100,000 more senior citizens than 15 years prior. By 2040, the number of persons aged 74 to 84 will double and the number of persons 85 and older will increase by a 72%. By age 75, one-third of Rhode Islanders do not have driver license, raising concerns about access to equitable transportation resources.
“Older and disabled adults without access to convenient and affordable transportation services can feel stranded. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety confirms that older drivers from rural communities without access to public transportation rate the prospect of driving cessation as more impactful on their lives. This perception may influence their decision to continue driving despite decline in their health, therefore advanced planning is imperative,” said Diana Gugliotta, AAA Northeast Senior Manager of Public Affairs. “Key Timing can offer older adults and their caregivers much needed information to plan for and address their transportation needs after they had retired from driving.”
“Key Timing is an invaluable resource for older drivers and their families to help them determine at what point driving may no longer be advisable – but even more than that, to help them plan for a seamless transition to alternative modes of transportation that preserve freedom of mobility that is so crucial to health and happiness as we age,” said Catherine Taylor, executive director of Age-Friendly RI. “I am so grateful to AAA’s strong commitment to the independence and well-being of older adults.”
For more information, visit www.AAA.com/KeyTiming.