AARP is pleased to support the license policy recommendations released by the AAA Foundation last week. With less than a generation to spare before one in four drivers will be over age 65, it is refreshing to see a consensus building around how to keep the roads safe for everyone.

Three key elements will help reach that goal:

1) We must empower safe drivers to stay on the road for as long as possible with safer roads, safer cars and personal and family responsibility for maintaining safe driving skills and practices.

2) We must create more travel options for at-risk drivers so they can hang up their keys without losing their mobility. And perhaps most importantly,

3) We need to invest now in research to develop effective ways to identify at-risk drivers. Without this needed research, the license renewal process will not be successful in getting unsafe drivers off the roads and unfortunate crash related tragedies will continue.

Maybe the relentless climb in gas prices will push innovation in transportation choices, public, private and nonprofit. Meanwhile, AARP believes that everyone should be required to regularly renew their driver’s license in person. We want the roads safe and we want America to be ready for the aging of the largest generation in history.

AARP has and continues to offer resources and a place to discuss this issue to members and lawmakers and you can be sure that we’ll continue to watch this issue as it progresses.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 10:15 am and is filed under Politics, Civil Rights .