West Bloomfield Family Physician Represents MAFP on Safe Senior Driving Initiative
Last week, during Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, the State of Michigan launched michigan.gov/agingdriver, a new website of resources to help aging seniors stay safe on the roads.
Among its features are:
- Information for helping elderly drivers assess their own driving skills and identify problems that might impact their driving ability
- Resources to assist them in transitioning to other transportation options when the time comes for them to stop driving
- Guidance for families and caregivers in how to approach this sensitive subject with a loved one
"The comprehensive website also includes resources for healthcare professionals, including Family Physicians, who interact regularly with aging Michiganders who might be having difficulty navigating safely on the roadways, and navigating the resources that are available to help them," said Barbara Saul, DO, FAAFP of West Bloomfield and a member of the MAFP Board of Directors.
Dr. Saul represents MAFP on the coalition of partner organizations that helped develop and provided resources for Safe Drivers Smart Options: Keys to Lifelong Mobility. Other coalition partners include MDOT, the Secretary of State, Michigan State Police, University of Michigan Transportation Research Initiative, AARP Michigan, AAA, and the Michigan Trauma Coalition.
"We spent two years creating the building blocks for this website, and now we will continue to enhance the resources for senior citizens, their families and caregivers, and all professionals who work with them," Dr. Saul went on to say.
Michigan has the 8th largest senior population in the U.S., and people age 65 and older are Michigan's fastest growing demographic. About 1.4 million of Michigan's 7.1 million licensed drivers are 65 or older-- that's 19.3% of Michigan's drivers, which is up from 14.5% 10 years ago.
You can read more here.