License Policies Workshop for Older Drivers

Posted 08/27/2007
UMTRI manages workshop on license policies for older drivers

David W. Eby and Lisa J. Molnar have been selected by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety as project managers for its upcoming License Policies Workshop for Older Drivers. This work will be performed as part of the newly established Michigan Center for Advancing Safe Transportation throughout the Lifespan (M-CASTL). Dr. Eby serves as the M-CASTL director and Ms. Molnar as codirector. This project is closely related to the M-CASTL theme of safety and mobility throughout the lifespan.

The workshop will take place in December with invited participants representing research groups, federal government agencies, and national organizations. The objectives of the workshop are to:

• Synthesize the present state of knowledge regarding older driver safety as it relates to the ability of aging drivers to continue to drive safely, methods or criteria for screening or assessing drivers, and interventions (including but not limited to licensing actions) appropriate for drivers identified as "high risk."
• Develop a consensus-based set of recommendations that could be used by policymakers and stakeholders to inform the development of licensing policies based upon the best available science. As envisioned, these recommendations would focus on specific criteria that could be used to identify high-risk drivers and appropriate measures or interventions for such drivers.
• Identify the most important knowledge gaps and research needs related to older driver safety—particularly with regard to questions of licensing—and recommend specific lines of research that the AAA Foundation could pursue over the next several years to address them.

Eby's and Molnar's responsibilities will be to work with AAA Foundation personnel to select topics for the workshop, select authors to write background papers, review and edit background papers, recruit participants, facilitate the workshop, and document workshop activities and outcomes.