Resources for older drivers

As more than 26% of the Commonwealth’s 9.1 million licensed drivers are 65 or older, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the Pennsylvanian Insurance Department (PID), and the American Automobile Association (AAA) recently shared safe driving advice and resources available for older Pennsylvanians in recognition of Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (ODSAW).

Held nationally the first week in December, OSDAW promotes awareness of the resources available for older drivers.

“Mobility is essential to quality of life at any age, especially as friends and families gather to celebrate the holiday season,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Executive Deputy Secretary Larry Shifflet. “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.”

In 2024, there were 21,986 crashes involving at least one driver aged 65 or older that resulted in 308 total fatalities. This represents 19.8% of all crashes and 27.3% of all fatalities. Older drivers generally have fewer crashes per driver than the national average – but they have more crashes per mile of driving.

“Ensuring that older adults have the resources they need to remain active in and connected to their communities is an important focus of the Shapiro Administration,” said Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) Jason Kavulich. “Driver safety and working with our partners to provide accessible and flexible transportation alternatives are important parts of how older adults navigate in our community. Pennsylvania lottery proceeds help to fund alternative services in transportation for our older citizens.”

Pennsylvania has a network of shared-ride service providers dedicated to keeping older adults mobile, safe, and engaged in their community. The Senior Shared Ride Program allows seniors to ride at a reduced fare. More than 2.7 million senior shared ride trips were provided in FY 2024-25. Additionally, the Free Transit Program for Seniors allows citizens aged 65 or older to ride for free on a local, fixed-route service whenever local public transportation is operating. During FY 2024-25, there were more than 25 million senior Free Transit Trips.

While every person ages differently, aging typically brings certain - and 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.

“Some factors that may pose challenges for drivers of all ages, but especially older drivers include adverse winter weather conditions, longer nights, and heavy holiday traffic,” said Captain Adam Reed, Assistant Director of Community Outreach for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). “To help ensure their safety on the roadways, older drivers should make sure their eye exams are up-to-date and understand how prescribed medications could affect their driving. And please remember...all drivers should always buckle up.”

To help older drivers who may have difficulties driving, PennDOT partnered with PA Department of Human Services and transit agencies to develop an online tool called Find My Ride that allows older drivers to access free ride services online. The app allows transit agencies to process applications more efficiently, so users can access benefits more quickly. Find it at https://shorturl.at/exK0j.

“All drivers are required to carry adequate financial protection for their vehicles, and there are ways to reduce the cost of auto insurance,” said Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Market Regulation David Buono. “For instance, older drivers often experience changes in their family or work life, which impacts how much they drive. Due to this, PID strongly encourages older drivers to regularly review their auto insurance policy to make sure they are not paying for coverage they no longer need.”

Signs that can indicate it may be time to limit or stop driving altogether include:

* Feeling uncomfortable, fearful, or nervous when driving.

* Unexplained dents/scrapes on the car, fences, mailboxes, or garage doors.

* Frequently getting lost and frequent “close calls” (i.e. almost crashing).

* Slower response times, particularly to unexpected situations.

* Difficulty paying attention to signs or staying in the lane of traffic.

* Trouble judging gaps at intersections or highway entrance/exit ramps.

For more information on older driver safety and mobility resources, log onto https://shorturl.at/rmduG.