Institute for Public Administration co-recipient of $50,000 grant for research on older driversIPA will share a $50,000 technical assistance grant from the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) with partner grantee Delaware Center for Transportation (DCT) in the College of Engineering. The grant is one of six awarded by the foundation as part of its public information and education campaign Safer Roads: Building Safety Into Your Drive.
“Despite substantial progress in improving vehicles and driver performance over the years, significant challenges remain to assure that the nation’s roadways are as safe as they can and should be,” said Greg Cohen, Executive Director of RSF.
The IPA-DCT team will conduct a campaign to educate local officials and the public about the importance of roadway modifications in making roads safer for older drivers. RSF will provide staff time, technical assistance, and materials in support of the grant.
“We are very pleased with receiving this support from the Roadway Safety Foundation. It will provide us an opportunity to follow through on some of the recommendations contained in our report, and to continue work with AARP, AAA and state agencies as well as the Delaware Center for Transportation here at the University of Delaware,” said Bernard Dworsky, IPA’s grant co-investigator.
The RSF grant will focus on public information and education. Planned activities include meetings and policy forums, a public-television broadcast (WHYY-TV), and the production and distribution of several types of marketing materials. These programs will take place during the first half of 2009.
The IPA-DCT effort will involve stakeholders concerned with older-driver issues such as DelDOT, the Office of Highway Safety, the Federal Highway Administration, AAA, and AARP.
The five other organizations awarded grants by the RSF were the Departments of Transportation in South Carolina, Utah, and Michigan; Cook County in Minnesota; and the Tribal Technical Assistance Program at the Michigan Technological University. Grants ranged in size from $15,000 to $75,000.
Under a 2007 program, the IPA conducted research and produced a report (“Assessing the Needs of Delaware’s Older Drivers”) on the subject of older drivers. IPA gathered and analyzed data for traffic crashes involving older drivers throughout the state. Specific “problem areas” were identified based on the frequency of crashes, traffic volumes, and current and projected percentage of residents age 60 and over. IPA then developed recommendations for reducing older driver crashes by improving intersection designs; upgrading traffic signs, pavement markings, and signals; and conducting education and awareness programs.
