By Jessica Mathews / News@whmi.com


“National Older Driver Safety Awareness Week” gets underway today and officials say the campaign’s safety message is important for more than just aging drivers.

Livingston County residents and others across the state are being encouraged to celebrate the week by taking the opportunity to learn more about the topics related to aging and driving on the state’s Safe Driver Smart Options website. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says the aging driver website is an excellent resource for older drivers, their families and the professionals who care for them. She commented that everyone is aging and some day will have to make the transition away from driving. Benson said much of the stress and worry during the process can be relieved through planning and knowing what resources are available in any given community.

As part of National Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, residents are invited to explore different daily topics throughout the week. Topics include family conversations, interventions that can empower drivers, staying engaged in the community with or without a vehicle, strategies for initiating conversations about when and how to transition to a non-driving lifestyle, procedures for referring an unsafe driver for a driver reexamination, information about the aspects of aging and how best to interact with older residents for audiences such as law enforcement, healthcare, and other professionals.

The website further features older driver self-assessment driving tools and videos, links to driver refresher courses and other community supports for older drivers, information about how medications and health problems may affect driving and lists of resources available to drivers once they stop driving. A link to the state’s Safe Driver Smart Options website is provided.