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Our Aging Population: How Employers Can Keep Older Drivers Safe at Work

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:39 am
by MSI
From CDC blog April 5, 2016: How Employers Can Keep Older Drivers Safe at Work
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  • Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States. Millions of workers, such as long-haul truck drivers, sales representatives, and home health care staff, drive or ride in a motor vehicle as part of their jobs. As our workforce ages, we need to pay special attention to the needs of older drivers in the workplace. The NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety recently released a new fact sheet that provides employers and workers information on age-related physical and mental changes that may affect older workers’ driving, as well as resources and checklists for workers and employers to promote safe driving strategies.

    Between 1994 and 2014, employment of older workers (65 years and older) increased by 117%, and this trend is expected to continue (BLS). By 2020, it is estimated that 30% of Americans and 25% of all workers will be 55 years and older, and 40 million licensed drivers will be 65 years and older. Physical and mental changes that are a normal part of aging – such as declining eyesight, hearing, physical strength, and memory – can affect one’s ability to drive safely. However, the relationship between aging and safe driving is not so simple. Older individuals tend to practice better driving habits, such as wearing seat belts and following speed limits, and they are less likely than younger persons to be involved in a crash. But, they are at a higher risk of injury or death if involved in a crash, in part because the body becomes more vulnerable to severe injury with age.

See the full article: How Employers Can Keep Older Drivers Safe at Work