Senior Drivers

Updated August 2008

People over age 65 make up 12 percent of the total U.S. population, or 35 million people.  This figure will double by 2030. The safe mobility of this age group is an issue many states and organizations are researching. Concern about their safety has increased during the last few months in light of recent serious crashes involving older drivers.  NCSL has compiled a list of resources and publications regarding this issue including a 50-state chart detailing state laws in this area.

  Licensing Procedures for Older Drivers - 2007

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NCSL Publications on Senior Drivers

• "Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action 2007," Transportation Series No. 32, December 2007, by Melissa Savage, Matt Sundeen, and Anne Teigen.
• "Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action 2006," Transportation Series No. 31, March 2007, by Melissa Savage, Matt Sundeen and Jeanne Mejeur.
• "Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action 2004," Transportation Series No. 20, December 2004, by Melissa Savage, Matt Sundeen and Jeanne Mejeur.
• "Older Driver," January 2004, LegisBrief by Melissa Savage.
• "Highway Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Update, 2003," Transportation Series, January 2004, No. 19 by Melissa Savage, Matt Sundeen, Cathrine Chan.
• "The Safety of Older Drivers,"Vol. 8, No. 21, LegisBrief by Melissa Savage, April/May 2000.

Other Links

• NCSL/NHTSA Traffic Safety Legislation Database
• IIHS 
• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety 
• AAA 
• Administration on Aging 
• AARP 
• NHTSA Older Driver Information 
• CDC Older Driver Fact Sheet

NCSL Contact

Melissa Savage
Anne Teigen

 Traffic Safety page

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