AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Senior Driver Website

Introduction

Think about what tasks you do every time you get behind the wheel of a car. You must coordinate the actions of your hands, feet, eyes, ears, and body movements. At the same time, you must decide how to react to what you see, hear, and feel in relation to other cars and drivers, traffic signs and signals, conditions of the highway, and the performance of your car. These decisions are usually made close to other vehicles and must be converted quickly into action - brake, steer, accelerate, or a combination of all - to maintain or adjust your position in traffic. And these decisions must be made frequently. About 20 major decisions are needed for each mile driven; drivers frequently have less than one-half second to act to avoid a collision. The record of older drivers is good, when you consider the number of collisions per driver, but when you consider the number of collisions per miles driven, this record is surprisingly bad. Older drivers have fewer collisions, because they drive less and at less dangerous times. But when they are in a crash, it can be very serious. In a two-car fatal collision, where one driver is 65 or older, the older driver is 3.5 times more likely to be killed. Injuries that are seen as moderate to severe for most people are fatal to people aged 55 and older.

Purpose of this Quiz

One of the purposes of this self-rating form is to help you become, if you are not already, an "activated driver." An activated driver is someone who assumes responsibility for his or her own driving skills and who self-examines and compares his or her ability with the requirements for safe driving. The premise of this booklet is that through knowledge and self-awareness, you will understand what a safe driver is and will assume the responsibility to be a safe driver or to decide to give up the driver's license and seek other forms of transportation. The questionnaire you have just completed has helped you to locate those areas where your physical and mental abilities call for a change in your driving habits and skills. This section of the booklet offers suggestions to improve each driving skill highlighted in the questionnaire. Be sure to focus on those sections that correspond to the problem areas identified by the questionnaire.

Please enter you:

Age

Gender: Male Female

I signal and check to the rear when I change lanes
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
I wear a seat belt
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
I try to stay informed on changes in driving and highway regulations
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
Intersections bother me because there is so much to watch from all directions
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
I find it difficult to decide when to join traffic on a busy interstate highway
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
I think I am slower than I used to be in reacting to dangerous driving situations
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
When I am really upset, I show it in my driving
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
My thoughts wander when I am driving
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
Traffic situations make me angry
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
I get regular eye checks to keep my vision at its sharpest
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
I check with my doctor or pharmacist about the effects of my medications on driving ability. (If you do not take any medication, skip this question.)
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
I try to stay abreast of current information on health practices and habits
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
My children, other family members or friends are concerned about my driving ability
Always or Almost Always

Sometimes

Never or Almost Never
How many traffic tickets, warnings, or "discussions" with officers have you had in the past two years?
None

One or Two

Three or More
How many accidents have you had during the past two years?
None

One or Two

Three or More

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