Patricia Liew

Do you know that road users over the age of 60 are over-represented in road deaths?

Here are some facts about road use:

• Drivers over 60 years are the fastest growing age group of drivers on the road. They are more likely to crash in 60 km/hr and 70 km/hr speed zones.
• In the last 5 years, 194 pedestrians lost their lives on our roads. Of these, 34% were aged 70 and over.
• Road users (drivers, pedestrians, passengers, cyclists etc) over 70 and over 60 face the highest and second highest risk of death respectively on our roads compared to any other age groups.

Sources: Transport Accident Commission and VicRoads

So, are we ‘bad’ drivers compared to younger people? Absolutely not!

The fact is that, as we age, certain things happen to the human body and mind.  Here is the not-so-good news:

• Older drivers, pedestrians and other road users are frailer, so we are less likely to survive a serious crash.
• Our vision, memory and thinking may become poorer and less effective.
• Many of us take medication that can affect how we behave on our roads.
• We may have a slower response to more complicated situations on our roads.
• We may drive significantly below the speed limit, and this can be as dangerous as speeding.
• We may fail to select safe gaps at intersections and multi-lane roads.
• Like a lot of road users in younger age groups, many of us misunderstand a number of the road rules. There have been many changes to the road rules since we received our driver’s licence.

The Safer, Smarter Road Use course seeks to help us understand these issues and provides tips and information about how to address them. This is a one-term course held between 1:30 – 2:50 pm weekly every Thursday in Term 2.

Patricia Liew
Tutor, Safer, Smarter Road Use