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Projecting Fatalities in Crashes Involving Older Drivers, 2000-2025

Projecting Fatalities in Crashes Involving Older Drivers, 2000-2025

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The typical city bus is not the transit service desired by seniors. Many seniors are<br />

concerned that they will fall while board<strong>in</strong>g or depart<strong>in</strong>g from the bus or dur<strong>in</strong>g transit if<br />

they must stand while the vehicle is mov<strong>in</strong>g. In addition, because they don’t want to be<br />

considered old and slow, they feel rushed to pay their fares and f<strong>in</strong>d a seat. “Smart” fare<br />

cards, better on-board displays, auditory cues, and other devices will assist the elderly<br />

passenger and perhaps encourage more transit use (Suen, Mitchel, and Henderson, 1998).<br />

An example of an alternative senior transportation service is the Independent<br />

Transportation Network (ITN) operat<strong>in</strong>g with<strong>in</strong> a 15-mile radius of Portland, Ma<strong>in</strong>e. The<br />

ITN, which uses automobiles to transport elderly riders at the riders’ convenience, is one<br />

<strong>in</strong>novation which seems to have ga<strong>in</strong>ed approval among its elderly riders.<br />

Additional mobility options <strong>in</strong> some locations <strong>in</strong>clude pedestrian facilities. For<br />

seniors, walk<strong>in</strong>g is the second most important travel mode after the private vehicle.<br />

Pedestrian accommodations to aid elderly pedestrians at <strong>in</strong>tersections <strong>in</strong>clude crosswalk<br />

light<strong>in</strong>g and better signs.<br />

For any alternative transportation option, the elderly person must feel safe, secure,<br />

and free from harassment while occupy<strong>in</strong>g the transit vehicle, while wait<strong>in</strong>g for the<br />

transportation vehicle to arrive, and while gett<strong>in</strong>g to and from the board<strong>in</strong>g location (U.S.<br />

Department of Transportation, 1997A, p. 50).<br />

3.3.5 “Intelligent” Technologies and Other Adaptive Equipment<br />

The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is develop<strong>in</strong>g highway and <strong>in</strong>-vehicle<br />

devices that would help seniors maneuver better. Current ITS applications <strong>in</strong>clude route<br />

guidance mechanisms, emergency vehicle location and response systems, adaptive cruise<br />

control, vision enhancement, and collision warn<strong>in</strong>g systems. Because of their fairly recent<br />

<strong>in</strong>corporation with<strong>in</strong> the market and their relative expense, these systems are not currently<br />

widespread among the older driver population (Caird, 1999, p. 3). Hazard warn<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />

GM Project G.6 3 - 23 October <strong>2000</strong>

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