military. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, picnics and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer.But did you know that historically, the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the 100 deadliest days of the year on the nation’s roads? The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that Memorial Day weekend is the single most dangerous weekend on America’s roads.Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council says “As Americans gear up for the most carefree months of the year, we cannot take our safety for granted. Driving is one of the riskiest things we do every day. Engaging our defensive driving skills and staying alert can mean the difference between attending cookouts and family parties or spending the evening at the emergency room or worse.”Matt Gurwell, founder & CEO of Keeping Us Safe, adds that “Going home for the holiday weekend has layers of significance for adult children, particularly those who live out of town. It remains a time of family, friends and togetherness, but it’s also an opportunity to observe your parents to determine if their physical and cognitive skills are still sufficient for safe driving.”
Have either of your parents fallen in the past year?Recent research has established a definite correlation between falls and older driver crash involvement. According to an article published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, older adults that have fallen two or more times in the previous year may be at a higher risk of being involved in an at-fault car crash.The study, conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, and the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that older drivers who fell two or more times in the prior year were 1.5 times as likely to be involved in an accident and two times as likely to be involved in an at-fault accident.The study’s bottom line; a history of frequent falling can serve as a valid indicator in identifying older drivers that are at a higher risk for future traffic accidents. That’s pretty significant!
Are your parents still physically active?Exercise can help maintain or even improve an older driver’s flexibility, coordination, strength, balance and range of motion. Simple stretching exercises can help an older driver look left or right more easily to check their blind spots, or to help ensure a safe lane change. Exercise can also help an older driver turn their neck and body to look behind them before backing. How many tragedies have we read about where an older driver backed over a pedestrian in a parking lot or in some cases, a family member in their own driveway?A 2014 study by The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence and the M.I.T. Age Lab looked at the drivers who exercised for 15-20 minutes daily. The study participants reported greater ease in turning their heads to look in blind spots when changing lanes or backing up, compared with a similar group that did not exercise. The exercise group could also rotate their bodies easily to scan the road when making right hand turns compared with non-exercisers. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Senior Health website offers specific exercises on improving endurance, strength, flexibility and balance.
How are your parent’s memories holding up?In the family setting, the issue surrounding the important role memory plays in older driver safety is often understated or even overlooked all together. For obvious reasons, when we discuss age related diminished driving skills in older adults, we tend to focus on the physical attributes of safe driving (vision, reflexes, strength, flexibility, hearing, etc.), and may overlook the crucial role memory plays in keeping older drivers safe.For any one of us, a significant decline in our memory can lead to disaster if we continue to drive without first making appropriate adjustments in out driving behavior and habits. Continuing to drive while ignoring noticeable memory decline can lead to tragedy, either through a car accident, or by unknowing becoming an excellent candidate for a victim of crime.Older drivers that get lost may become confused and distracted by their unnerving circumstances. As they find themselves unaware of their surroundings, they are likely to develop a strong case of tunnel vision. The older driver may morph into a state of confusion, frustration and fear. They lose their ability to focus on the task at hand (the physical act of driving) and instead, concentrate on getting themselves back to familiar surroundings. The older driver’s ability to focus on driving has been overwhelmed by their desire to re-orient themselves. In many cases, the individual may become scared and often times, tragedy becomes imminent. SummaryUse your trip home for the holiday weekend as a time to honor the men and women that have sacrificed their lives for our Country. Use it to re-unite with family and friends and to kick-off the start of summer, but also, take just a few minutes to make sure your parents’ physical and cognitive skills are still conducive to safe driving.If you believe there are concerns with a loved-one’s driving skills, consider “Beyond Driving with Dignity; The workbook for the families of older drivers”, or Keeping Us Safe’s Enhanced Self-Assessment Program for older drivers. To learn more about Keeping Us Safe’s programs, please visit their website at www.keepingussafe.org. Inquiries made be made by email at info@keepingussafe.org or by telephone at 877-907-8841.About the author: Matt Gurwell is founder of Keeping Us Safe, LLC, a national organization that provides practical, real-life solutions to older drivers and their families.
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