AAA Foundation Web site Helps Seniors Get Around

6/25/2003

From: Stephanie Faul or Fairley Washington, 202-638-5944, both of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

WASHINGTON, June 25 -- By 2030 more than 70 million Americans will be over 65 years old. Those who continue to drive will need senior-friendly cars and better road signs, while those who can't or won't drive will need other ways to get around. To help the growing "senior boom" stay mobile, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in Washington, DC, in cooperation with the Beverly Foundation of Pasadena, Calif., has created an on-line clearinghouse specifically dedicated to senior transportation issues and information.

"In the near future we're looking at a huge demand for senior-friendly transportation," says Peter Kissinger, president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "While many seniors can continue to drive safely, many others will need help getting around. Our on-line clearinghouse allows transportation specialists and seniors themselves to investigate alternative forms of transportation."

"Transportation is more than an issue of convenience," says Dr. Helen Kershner of the Beverly Foundation. "For many older people, particularly the old-old, neither driving an automobile nor accessing public transit services is a viable transportation option. What is needed is 'senior friendly transportation' that supplements or complements traditional transportation options."

The Web site, http://www.seniordrivers.org, has four sections, each with its own focus. The clearinghouse provides a site where those who work with seniors can exchange transportation information, strategies, and news. Other sections provide information about senior driver safety and ongoing research.

While seniors value their independence, they often must depend on neighbors and family members to get around. To help with this problem, the new Web site provides a list of several hundred senior transportation programs organized by state.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a 501(c)(3) charity that seeks to prevent deaths and injuries caused by motor vehicles. The Beverly Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) private operating foundation in Pasadena, Calif., that promotes quality of life for America's older population through research, demonstration, and education.

For more information, contact the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety at http://www.aaafoundation.org, or the Beverly Foundation at http://www.beverlyfoundation.org.