DRIVING IS TRANSPORTATION FOR MOST OLDER ADULTS

The number of people in the United States older than age 65 is expecte d to double to 60,000,000 within the next 25 years. lt is likely that in, the future more older persons will drive longer into their Lifetim es than they do now. Actions taken note to prepare for this population expansion will have a profound effect on the lives of future older Am ericans. Functional disabilities among some older people may make it d ifficult for them to continue to be safely mobile. A crucial issue is to determine who cart drive safely and who cannot. A corollary issue i s how to rehabilitate those whose functional abilities can be enhanced . For those who cannot be rehabilitated, decisions need to be made on either modifying or slopping driving, and we must facilitate the use o f other options that allow older people to remain mobile. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other public and private or ganizations are now developing programs to enable the public and priva te sectors to address these issues.