The ageing of the population poses major challenges in terms of road safety, particularly for senior citizens. While driving is synonymous with autonomy and quality of life, it can become risky with age, as reflexes and physical capacities diminish. To guarantee their safety and that of other road users, several solutions can be envisaged.
Road safety: refresher courses for senior citizens
Specific courses to refresh seniors’ knowledge of the highway code are a key initiative. For example, in the Côtes-d’Armor region, the “Ma conduite en toute quiétude” days have enabled drivers aged over 60 to take part in educational workshops, such as learning how to use traffic circles and how to make an amicable report.
These courses aim to reassure drivers of their skills, while providing them with the tools to adapt their driving to changes in their physical condition. As Sarah Oger, Prevention Officer at CIAS, points out, these initiatives help drivers to work on aspects such as blind spots and reaction times, which are often impaired with age.
Associations and insurers also offer courses combining theory and practice. These courses cover a wide range of subjects, from vehicle adjustment and the impact of medication on driving, to managing complex situations. The emphasis is on a caring, guilt-free approach to encourage seniors to sign up.
In fact, back in 2017, the french Sécurité Routière put forward recommendations in a white paper, with a focus on senior citizens.
The 10 proposals in the white paper aim to maintain and secure mobility for all, particularly seniors, in order to maintain their autonomy (recommendation no. 6):
- Include criteria relating to the condition of the road and its equipment in accident statistics.
- Generalize independent technical investigations to all road accidents.
- Draw up an annual map of road conditions and equipment.
- Use training credits to enhance road managers’ technical skills in road equipment.
- Organize a national operation to replace road signs that have been installed in France for more than 20 years.
- Create a multi-disciplinary “seniors and road safety” commission within the French National Road Safety Council (CNSR).
- Appoint an interministerial delegate to promote synergy between all players involved in the 5th generation road.
- Deploy the 5th Generation Road, giving preference to the intelligent use of existing infrastructure.
- Appoint a member of the Syndicat des Equipements de la Route to sit on the Conseil National de la Sécurité Routière(CNSR).
- Bring together the Délégation à la Sécurité et à la Circulation Routières (DSCR) and the Direction Générale des Infrastructures, des Transports et de la Mer (DGITM).
Encouraging brain and cognitive training
Studies, such as the one conducted by Pennsylvania State University, show that cognitive training can prolong seniors’ ability to drive safely. Participants who underwent reasoning or divided attention exercises were up to 70% more likely to still be driving 10 years after the start of the study.
In addition to its benefits for driving, this training helps to limit social isolation, reducing the social circles of seniors who stop driving by 51%. Maintaining their mobility therefore has a direct impact on their mental and physical health.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as automatic emergency braking, blind spot detectors and parking assistance are particularly useful for older drivers. These devices compensate for certain physical or cognitive limitations and reduce the risk of accidents.
Adapting road infrastructures: roads designed for seniors
Today’s road infrastructure does not always meet the needs of older drivers. Obstacles include
- The complexity of road signs
- Lack of legibility of road markings
- Insufficient maintenance of signs and markings
A better-maintained and signposted road would enable seniors to travel with confidence. The involvement of players like the Syndicat des Équipements de la Route (SER) is essential to making roads more inclusive.
The need for collective action
Improving road safety for senior citizens requires a global approach involving the State, local authorities, road professionals and associations. By combining efforts on training, cognitive training, technological aids and infrastructure adaptation, it is possible to guarantee older drivers sustainable, safe mobility that respects their autonomy.
Seniors are valuable road users, and their safety is a societal issue that must become a shared priority.
Published by the Editorial Staff on