HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state government officials are highlighting resources for older drivers available across the Commonwealth.
An event was hosted at the Messiah Lifeways in Mechanicsburg on Thursday, Dec. 5, in observance of Older Driver Awareness Week and to bring attention to transportation alternatives and other accessible resources.
“Mobility is essential to quality of life at any age,” Larry Shifflet, the executive deputy secretary at PennDOT, said. “While many older drivers have a lifetime of valuable driving experience to draw from, PennDOT continually seeks to balance the safety of our roadways with the need for independence and autonomy.”
PennDOT developed an online tool with the PA Department of Human Services and other transit agencies called “Find My Ride.” “Find My Ride” allows older drivers to easily access free ride services via the internet. There’s an app which allows the transportation agencies to more efficiently process applications.
The app can be found at findmyride.penndot.pa.gov or by going to penndot.pa.gov and clicking “Travel in PA” and then under “Public Transit Options.”
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring that older adults have the resources they need to remain active in and connected to their communities,” Jason Kavulich, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, said. “Pennsylvania is fortunate that our lottery proceeds help to fund alternative services in transportation for its older citizens. Providing accessible and flexible transportation alternatives to older adults is important as well as driver safety in regard to how our older adults navigate in our communities.”
Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, PennDOT, AAA and the AARP also shared advice and tips for how older drivers can extend their years on the road in a safe way from knowledge of current laws to recognizing the signs of when it’s time to give up driving.
One of the tools outlined by the departments called “CarFit” was designed to help older drivers understand how well they “fit” their car, how they can improve the “fit” and to overall create conversations about driver safety. The educational program was created by the American Society on Aging and was developed with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association.
According to a press release, the state has a network of ride service providers that are dedicated to keeping older residents safe, engaged and mobile. Another program highlighted was the “Senior Shared Ride Program” which allows older adults to ride on public transportation at a reduced cost.
“Financial protection is an important factor for all drivers and there are ways to reduce the cost of auto insurance,” Michael Humphreys, the commissioner of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, said. “Older drivers can get a break on their insurance rates. If all drivers on your policy are 55 or older, you can take a PennDOT approved mature driver class and get a break of at least five percent on your auto insurance premium. Drivers should also consult their agent or insurance company if they are driving less or if they think there are coverages that they no longer need.”
For the fiscal year 2023-24, more than 2.4 million senior shared ride trips were provided. Additionally, the “Free Transit Program for Seniors,” is a similar program that provides residents over the age of 65 the opportunity to ride for free on a local, fixed route services. During the fiscal 2023-24 year, more than 24 million Free Transit Trips for seniors took pace.
“Older drivers face a number of challenges in addition to seasonal factors — such as winter weather conditions, longer nights and heavy holiday traffic — that create challenges for drivers of all ages,” Lieutenant Adam Reed, the director of the communications office with the Pennsylvania State Police, said. “Older drivers should ensure that their eye exams are up-to-date and understand how prescribed medications could affect their driving. And please remember … all drivers should buckle up every time.”
A press release from PennDOT noted that of the Commonwealth’s 9.1 million licensed drivers, more than 25% of them are 65 or older. Furthermore, there were 21,370 crashes involving at least one driver over the age of 65 in 2023 alone, and of those crashes, there were 330 fatalities. That data represents 19.3% of all statewide crashes and 27.3% of all crash-related fatalities, PennDOT said.
“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,” the press release outlined. “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.”
The organizations and departments highlighting these resources for older drivers also gave a list of tips and signs that it may be time to limit or stop driving altogether including:
• Feeling uncomfortable, fearful or nervous while driving
• Unexplained dents or scrapes on the car, fences, mailboxes or garage doors
• Frequently getting lost and “close calls” (such as almost crashing)
• Slower response times, especially in unexpected situations
• Difficulty paying attention to signs or staying in the lane of traffic
• Trouble judging gaps at intersections or highway entrance/exit ramps
Older drivers are encouraged to review PennDOT’s “Seniors Driving Safely” publication series which is available online and can be downloaded for free from the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website. The series aims to assist older drivers in understanding their capabilities and provide guidance on the next steps in the case their medical conditions are reported to PennDOT.
The publication also includes resources for the loved ones and families of older drivers to navigate what can be difficult conversations about deciding to stop driving and information about healthcare providers on PennDOT’s medical reporting program.
The press release further outlined several safe driving habits that are not only useful to older drivers, but should be routine for all drivers:
• Plan ahead — lengthy car trips should be made during daylight hours, morning could be best because most people aren’t as tired as they are in the afternoon
• Don’t drive in rush-hour traffic if you can avoid it — Plan trips after 9 a.m. or before 5 p.m. and know what roads near home are most congested and avoid them
• When driving long distances, especially in winter, call ahead for weather and road condition updates
• Look ahead — Good drivers get a jump on potential issues by looking far down the road and making adjustments before encountering problems that may involve other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists or animals
• Maintain a safe speed — This depends on what the road is like, how well the driver can see, how much traffic there is and how fast traffic is moving
• Keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you — The PA Driver’s Manual advises that you should always keep a four second gap between you and the vehicle in front of you
A list of approved mature driver courses is available online on PennDOT’s Mature Drivers Improvement Courses page. Those with insurance questions can contact the Insurance Department Consumer Services Bureau online or by calling 877-881-6388.
Additional information can also be found at both PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services and the Department of Aging websites.
