NHTSA's Traffic Safety Plan for Older Persons

Highway safety for older persons is an issue whose importance is increasing as America's population ages. Recognizing this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed a plan for a comprehensive program for improving the safety of older persons. This paper presents an overview of the plan, which envisions a balanced program covering both behavioral and vehicle countermeasures, with projects having the potential for both near term and longer term impacts on the issue. It presumes that the agency will work closely with the States and other groups concerned with the safety of older persons to gain their cooperation and support. The plan includes projects in problem identification, occupant protection, driver licensing, pedestrian safety, consumer information, and vehicle safety.