HARRISBURG – About 25% of PA’s 9.1 million licensed drivers are age 65 and older. PennDOT, the state Department of Aging, and PA State Police highlighted the unique challenges faced by older drivers during Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, which runs now through December 9. PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services, Kurt Myers says in 2021, there were more than 19,700 crashes involving at least one driver aged 65 or older, which resulted in over 300 total fatalities. While every person ages differently, aging typically brings certain – sometimes subtle – physical, visual, and cognitive changes that could impair an older person’s ability to drive safely. Older drivers and their families should work together to identify potential issues that may affect driving, outline courses of action to assist the older driver, and plan for when it’s time to hang up the keys. PennDOT recently developed an online tool called Find My Ride that allows older drivers to access free ride services online. It can be found at findmyride.penndot.pa.gov.
KURT MYERS