Older drivers feature for GEM
Registration is open for a free webinar, hosted by Valerie Singleton OBE, which will look at safer mobility for senior drivers.
The ‘Still Safe to Drive’ webinar, organised by GEM Motoring Assist, takes place on 14 September (2pm), and will help kick-off this year’s Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death).
The focus of Project EDWARD 2020 is work-related road safety, and research shows those aged 55 years and older have twice the risk of dying in a work-related crash than younger workers.
With that in mind, the webinar will take a close look at protecting seniors who may still be driving to work and/or at work.
It will cover:
- The challenges facing older drivers who are still at work
- When’s the right age to stop driving?
- Finding viable alternatives to the car
- The key role of family members
- Regime change? Licensing? Compulsory testing? Eye tests?
Host Valerie Singleton has a long and successful relationship with GEM. As well as presenting the organisation’s ‘Still Safe to Drive’ web resource for senior drivers and their families, she remains a regular contributor to GEM’s quarterly membership magazine, Good Motoring.
Val will be joined in the webinar by Dr Charles Musselwhite, associate professor in gerontology at the University of Swansea and by 79-year-old Margaret Filley, an enthusiastic driver who is now facing the prospect of surrendering her licence because of deteriorating eyesight.
GEM welcomes any senior drivers, their relatives and others with an interest in the subject to join the webinar. Places are limited, but registration is free.
Neil Worth, GEM chief executive, said: “We are excited to be supporting this webinar for Project EDWARD, which is an initiative we have backed since its formation in 2016.
“Today two thirds of people aged 70 and over still hold a driving licence, compared with less than 40% in the mid 1990s.
“We want to encourage senior drivers to stay mobile, while also ensuring they remain physically and mentally comfortable with the driving task.
“Self-reflection starts with an acceptance that we’re all more vulnerable on the road than we think we are.
“It includes a willingness to recognise the situations that may lead to increased risk, especially when we’re on work journeys, and to ask where, when and why these risks occur.
“I am sure this webinar will create the opportunity for some worthwhile debate.”
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