“Traffic Safety Among Older Adults: A Strategic Plan for California,” funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the Automobile Club of Southern California, is aimed at reducing motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries among older Californians. Its goal is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated approach to injury prevention and traffic safety among older adults. It is administered by San Diego State University’s Center for Injury Prevention Policy and Practice (CIPPP).

The CIPPP has convened the California Task Force on Older Adults and Traffic Safety to develop a framework of state-level policy and programmatic recommendations for improving traffic safety for older adults while maintaining their quality of life. The multidisciplinary task force is comprised of representatives from the UCLA School of Medicine, California Highway Patrol, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Region IX, the California Department of Health Services, the University of California at Berkeley Traffic Safety Center, the California Department of Motor Vehicles, state and county agencies on aging, the AARP, Emergency Medical Services Authority, Caltrans, OTS, and CIPPP, among others. In addition to developing the recommendations, the task force aims to raise awareness and foster collaboration and coordination around the issue.

“The Task Force brought together a multi-disciplinary team to consolidate and coordinate what had been a fragmented effort,” explained Patti Yanochko, Project Coordinator. “Now, the California Highway Patrol has stepped forward to get these recommendations implemented,” she said. The California Highway Patrol has led successful comprehensive injury prevention efforts in the past, she said, including its lead role in the statewide movement to increase seat belt use.

Recommendations from the framework were presented at an OTS summit in May. The main ones are listed below:

Traffic Safety Center Home