What is the Driver Fitness Center?

The primary goal of the Driver Fitness Center is to empower and educate older adults with information, tools and resources to drive safer, longer and maintain their independence and self-sufficiency. By 2015, the number of drivers in New York State over 60 is expected to increase 50%.

Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75 and increase markedly after age 80. While this is largely due to increased susceptibility to injury, particularly chest injuries, and medical complications among older drivers rather than an increased tendency to get into crashes, promoting driver safety for older drivers can help them avoid accidents.

But a driver’s age is not the sole predictor in determining driving ability and safety. Many health conditions have an adverse affect on the ability to drive such as physical changes caused by arthritis; visual changes inherent in cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration; cognitive impairments resulting from Alzheimer’s and dementia; and the myriad health changes that accompany a stroke or heart attack; as well as the side-effects of medications for these age-related conditions and others.

Driving is a symbol of independence for older drivers. Because the idea of losing driving privileges can have significant social and psychological effects, older drivers often compensate for self-recognized, diminished driving skills.

When an on-the-road crisis occurs, or at-risk behavior is observed, older drivers, their families, or helping professionals are often not aware of the community resources at their disposal to deal with at-risk or unsafe driving issues. Family, friends and caregivers are usually the first to realize when elderly loved ones are driving unsafely or "at risk." They want to protect the driver, but often don’t know what to do, or where to turn for help. CSSC’s Driver Fitness Center is a local community resource center they can turn to for information to improve driving safety for seniors.

The Driver Fitness Center is located at the Beltrone Living Center and includes a comprehensive library of information and referral sources to help seniors and their families find solutions to driving challenges. Self-service hours are
weekdays from 9- 5

The Driver Fitness Center was developed to:

1. Make older drivers aware of community resources available to keep them driving safely longer and keep them connected to an active lifestyle. Provide education to enable a greater awareness in the community about interventions that are available to help older drivers drive safely longer.
2. Educate older drivers, their family members, law enforcement and other helping professionals on the signs of an at-risk driver while also providing awareness of those health and fitness conditions that adversely affect safe driving.
3. Provide older drivers and their families with the information they need to make informed decisions about when it is time to change their driving behavior, cut back their driving, or stop driving. While many older drivers change their driving habits as they age to accommodate changes in their driving fitness, it is important to help them understand how and when these changes are needed and work with them to make a plan.