1 Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Publication No. FHWA-RD Randy Hulsey Director Douglas County Department of Transportation

2 Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Increase in Older Drivers DESIGNING for Older Drives makes the system more user friendly and enhances the driving experience for all drivers!!  One in eight people today is age 65 or older. By 2030, the number is expected to increase to one in five.  Per Miles Driven, Seniors have higher crash rates than any other age group, except teenagers.

3 Increase in Older Drivers Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

4 Attributes Required for the Driving Task  Visual  Mental  Physical Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

5 Example of an Eye Chart L O B T C L H A K E Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

6 Diminished Visual Capabilities  Reductions in Acuity  Ability to read information on road signs  Ability to see fine detail and high contrast features Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

7 Diminished Visual Capabilities Reductions in Contrast Sensitivity:  Ability to detect low contrast features that don’t have well defined edges.  Examples are:  worn lane lines  edge of roadway  curbs  other road users at dusk Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

8 Source: VISTECH Road Design Standards for Older Drivers View with Good Acuity & Normal Contrast Sensitivity View with Poor Contrast Sensitivity

9 Diminished Visual Capabilities Increased Sensitivity to Glare  reduction in contrast for detecting objects in the presence of oncoming headlights Decreased Dark Adaptation  ability to detect targets when moving in and out of lighted areas Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

10 People require 2 times the amount of light for each years after the age of 25 to:  Visually detect the same information View at Age 20 View at Age 60 View at Age 70 Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Diminished Visual Capabilities

11 Diminished Mental Capabilities Selective Attention  ability to filter information and continuously focus on the most critical information Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Decreased Motion Sensitivity  ability to judge gaps for turning, crossing, and merge maneuvers

12 Diminished Mental Capabilities Divided Attention  ability to process information from multiple sources simultaneously Road Design Standards for Older Drivers Perception-Reaction Time (PRT)  time to make a decision and then physically respond with a controlled vehicle movement.

13 Diminished Mental Capabilities Working Memory  ability to store, manipulate, and retrieve information for later use Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

14 Diminished Physical Capabilities 1.Reduced Upper Limb (arm, shoulder) Strength, Flexibility & Range of Motion 2. Reduced Lower Limb (leg, knee, ankle, foot) Strength, Flexibility & Range of Motion 3. Reduced Head/Neck and Upper Torso Flexibility & Range of Motion Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

15 Older Drivers Tend to Have Fewer Crashes Crashes per 1000 drivers (Source NCSA, 2000)

16 Increase in Highway Safety Risk for Older Drivers Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

17 Specific Attributes of the Problem  Studies show that compared with other age groups, older drivers are more likely to be involved in crashes at intersections, especially when attempting a left-turn maneuver. Drivers 85 and older are more than 10 times as likely as year olds to be in fatal multiple-vehicle crashes at intersections.  About 55% of people age 85 and older who died in collisions died in angle collisions. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

18 Douglas County DOT’s - Efforts to Accommodate Improving the Installation of Advance Warning Signage Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

19 Douglas County DOT’s - Efforts to Accommodate Improving Pavement Markings and Installation of Raised Pavement Markers. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

20 Douglas County DOT’s - Efforts to Accommodate Increase Night Time Visibility Through The Use Of High Intensity Reflective Sign Material, Installation Of RPM’s, Illuminated Street Name Signs, and LED Signal Heads. Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

21 Douglas County WHAT DOES THIS MEAN????? Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

22 Implications To Douglas County Planning & Policy  Roadway Transportation Develop a maintenance plan for replacement and repair of signage, striping and signals Plan, design, and require developers to intersect streets at 90° to prevent skews Plan, design, and require developers to provide adequate sight distance at intersections Increase lane and shoulder widths which requires the purchase of additional right of way Plan and fund the installation of street lights Retrofit street name signs Increase road contrast sensitivity by encouraging the usage of thermoplastic striping material instead of paint Develop a sidewalk program that will install ADA facilities Remove unnecessary signs, thus reducing sign clutter Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

23 Implications To Douglas County Planning & Policy  Alternative Transportation Transportation options need to be readily available with incentives for the aging population for utilization and support of this group Provide timely, safe and secure service that supports the needs of this population Incorporate design standards to support the aging population in all roadway projects Encourage opportunities to increase service and modes through transit strategies Offer incentives for car and vanpooling or shuttle systems to major activity centers Identify connectivity and accessibility needs Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

24 Implications To Douglas County Planning & Policy  Landuse Promote high-density residential Promote retail and medical services in close proximity to housing Promote commercial districts to encourage the use of transit  Pedestrian Modify walking speed calculations for pedestrian timings Implement retrofit facility installation program Create a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities to link residential areas, activity centers, the river, and park and school systems Develop a program for intersection improvements to aid pedestrian mobility Road Design Standards for Older Drivers

25 Thank You Mark Doctor Safety Engineer FHWA Resource Center, Safety & Design TST Atlanta, GA (404) Henrietta Rajadurai Kuoh, MPH Injury Prevention Section Georgia Division of Public Health 2 Peachtree Street Suite Atlanta, GA (404) Special Thanks to the following for the information and props provided for this presentation. If you want additional information regarding recommended practices for Older Driver Design or classes, contact: Road Design Standards for Older Drivers