Regulating older drivers: how are the states coping?

The nation's population is growing older and its dependence upon the automobile for mobility has never been higher. Traffic safety data indicate that older operators have more fatal crashes than other age groups. As more people approach their senior years the safety issues surrounding older drivers will become even more important. Findings from a 1995 survey are reported identifying the practices of states and the perceptions of licensing officials concerning the older driver issue. The results indicate a diversity in approaches and a series of institutional and behavioral conflicts in the older driver policy subsystem that contribute to imperfect licensing controls.