Identifying and Reporting Medically-at-Risk Older Drivers: Extending Strategies of a Demonstration Project on Highway Safety Guideline #13: Older Drivers

In 2017, East Carolina University was awarded a grant to implement a demonstration project implementing State Highway Safety Programs (HSP) Guideline #13 which identifies eight strategies for states to improve older driver safety. The project was successful in addressing four of these strategies (e.g., Driver licensing (i.e., medical review process), medical providers, law enforcement, and social and aging services). As a demonstration project, it was exploratory and implemented in limited parts of the state. The plan of this grant will be to focus on three areas using the significant strategies and programs were developed successfully and are ready to be expanded and implemented in other parts of the state. All three areas are inline with the Strategies and Supporting Actions of the 2019 North Carolina (NC) Strategic Highway Safety Plan (NCSHSP): Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Services. Specifically, with the overall objective of identifying and reporting medically-at-risk drivers, there will be expanded education for law enforcement in local communities, a new educational initiative to education the same objective with EMS and first responders, and development of an educational and engaging film for another important stakeholder group to improve older driver safety.

Scholars @ ECU