A Study Of The Relationship Between Older Drivers And Highway Safety In The State Of Michigan Final Report PDF Download

Studies have shown that older drivers (65 yrs-and-older) are prone to an increased risk of crash involvement per vehicle mile traveled and are more likely to be severely injured or killed as a result of a crash. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 2014 Handbook for Designing Roadways for the Aging Population presents a list of roadway features and their associated design elements that need to be considered when designing with the aging adults in mind. While the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has placed an increased focus on implementing engineering countermeasures making driving safe for older drivers since 2004, there are additional opportunities to improve design guidance in accordance with the FHWA Handbook, as well as other published best practice resources. The main objective of this study was to analyze the association of older adult crashes with roadway features and provide guidance in roadway design to MDOT. With analysis results, a detailed review of the FHWA Handbook and understanding of MDOT's road design guidance, opportunities for potential enhancements to MDOT's design guidance were identified and are documented in this report.