The Elderly in Traffic: Mobility and Road Safety

Abstract

In the western nations, the average age of the population is rising. There are more elderly people, who are also able to play a full part in society for longer and who wish to continue to do so. The high vulnerability of the elderly is a major factor in the road safety problem of that age group. Besides information, the elderly can also be offered training courses in traffic and elsewhere, aimed at maintaining functions which are vital in traffic, or bringing these up to standard. These courses, which still require some development, could be used in existing forms of sports and games designed to improve the mental and motor functions of the elderly. The great vulnerability of the elderly justifies additional efforts to prevent their involvement in accidents. Once an accident occurs, there are few ways to limit the severity of the consequences. The majority of casualties in slow traffic result from collisions with cars.